Hedgehog screaming

[FrankH]

I was woken at 1am this morning by a blood curdling screaming sound coming from our garden. It really sounded like an animal in distress so I went out into the garden to have a look and was really surprised to find 3 adult hedgehogs in very close proximity. The sound was being made by one of two hedgehogs who were literally nose to nose. They were snuffling each other loudly, interspersed with this really disturbing screaming sound. Is this a mating sound or distress sound? I’ve never heard it before with other hedgehogs in the garden.

[simbo65]

Hi,
I have put in a link of hedgehog sounds I found on the web
http://hedgehog-rescue.org.uk/sounds/noises.php

If you can identify the noise and you think it is distress then if you see/hear it again would you be up for catching it and getting it to a carer?

It may have been the “challenge” sound?????

Please let us know what you think

[Nic]

Hi Frank H

Just a word of caution – simbo65’s post could be misinterpreted. If you think a hog is distressed because it is sick or injured then contact your nearest carer for advice. (you can find contact details from the BHPS 01584 890801).

But if you see hedgehogs involved in their natural behaviour you should not intervene. Sometimes hedgehogs can appear to be fairly aggressive and biff each other and sometimes seem to shake each other or one even one roll another a fair distance. It may appear that the rolled up one is distressed and it may not be very happy, but if it is natural behaviour between two hedgehogs they should be left alone to sort it out between them. Normally the one who gets rolled up, eventually unrolls and goes on it’s way. They are cushioned to a degree by their spines.

Good hedgehog sounds link, simbo65.

[FrankH]

Thankyou for the link, the sound nearest to what I heard was the one listed as screaming. Neither hedgehog appeared injured and as I approached the source of the sound I could see a lot of movement in the undergrowth as well as lots of squealing. When I spotted them with my torch, they were nose to nose but neither was rolled up. I’m wondering if they were having a confrontation and was frightened, and when my light shone on them, it distracted them. I will carry on monitoring them though just in case one is poorly. We’ve never had 3 hedgehogs in the garden at the same time before as it is a small garden in an estate.

[Jeanette]

Hi Frank H

I have been recording hedgehogs in my garden for some time and recently I caught one hedgehog happily eating at the feeding station, then a second hog came bounding round the corner at speed and they came face to face. One of the hogs literally ‘screamed’ so loudly I could not believe what it was at first and that it had indeed come from one of the hedgehogs! I had never heard them make that noise before. Both hedgehogs were fine, no buffing or rolling into a ball and I think the one that screamed was either startled or just warning the other one to back off, which it did. Neither one looked ill or poorly so I wondered if it is just a ‘frightened’ scream.

[Author]

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