Hedgehogs living together
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Last spring we discovered a hedgehog in our garden. We made a wooden house and put up a webcam. It was seen in the summer with another hog and they intermittently snuggled up together in the box. I put a further house out. In the spring we found at least one had overwintered. It’s been joined by another. They both intermittently snuggle together. I’ve since put a third box out. I have read they don’t live together and once mated (there was lots of noise in May) the males don’t or shouldn’t hand around. We’ve had a lot of rain this week. Today found them in the new smaller box so they’re quite close. They seem content but wondering if this is unusual behaviour. We’ve spotted a third hog, with all 3 feeding, at night. Does anyone know if 2 hogsslerping together in mid June is unusual? They seem happy. I put Spikes out every night. Hog evidenc (poo, trails) have been spotted in neighbours gardens too.
Ps our original. Hog was nursed by Beryl Casey the hedgehog lady from. PORTISHEAD, seen on Springwatch, and returned to our garden.
Both in separate boxes tonight! Both look adult in size but one markedly bigger. Seem happy. I put 2 dishes out now and food eaten.
Hi Posssetspike
We do seem to hear more often these days of hogs sharing hog houses, but whether they share actual nests, is a different matter. But if they do share a hog house, it doesn’t mean that they are a male and female.
It’s interesting that one of the hogs has been with a hog carer. I wonder whether that could be partly contributing to more hogs sleeping in the same hog houses – that there must be quite a lot of hogs around who have been with a hog carer at some stage. Probably very difficult to find out. In Hedgehogs by Pat Morris (referring to winter nests) it says that only youngsters ever shared nests, and then not for long, but that in captivity they sometimes insist on sharing when other empty boxes are available.
Of course summer nests are probably more short term, so it may partly be a question of availabillity of appropriate spaces for them to sleep – or at least what the hogs considered to be appropriate spaces! These days when more hogs are found in urban areas, there may be a shortage of suitable nest sites.
But generally male hogs have nothing to do with the bringing up of the youngsters and it’s unlikely that they even recognise their offspring. (A female hog can even have a litter with more than one Father). But there are usually exceptions to every rule!
Nic is totally right above
In captivity and especially those that are overwintered we find they tend to do better in cages with other hogs in general. Obviously there are exceptions to this.
It can help reduce the stress of captivity.
As a result you have juvenile hogs that have stayed with others for months in their first year of life, and this is not long after being in a litter with mum. We may well be causing a change in hog behaviour as a resultThanks a lot for your reply. They disappeared for a few nights but were back last night together in the wooden box. Both boxes have straw in in them. They poo a lot all over the garden and in the boxes. They don’t clean out their nests.
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