Some hedgehog videos from my area in Sweden this summer

[Jens]

Hedgehog comes out of woods sniffing at my leg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35058038215/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

The hedgehog comes out of woods again. I see something on the right side of the face.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/34233598344/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

Curious but skeptic:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35124762826/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

First hunt without mom. Children had seen five hoglets. I saw three hunting in the grass and slowly spreading in different directions:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35948632632/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

Girl feeding and petting hedgehog. The idea is born of a hedgehog party to celebrate that hedgehogs exist, are so nice and sweet:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35773669110/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

Catching a worm:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35124988956/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

About to cross a road. I filmed also when it was crossing, but a car came and I focused on the drivers attention rather than filming.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35077552283/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

At a neighbours hedgehog resturant:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/34901939214/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

Following me and goes up in my lap at the resturant:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35650848911/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

First hunt without mom. Children had seen five hoglets. I saw three hunting in the grass and slowly spreading in different directions:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35948632632/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

This one wanted my fingers for a meal. I raised my phone with my tasty fingers when it was about to attack the second time. Hoping that since they normally hunt animals on the ground rising would deter an attack. It worked and didn’t scare the hedgehog:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35366015984/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

[William]

Lovely video`s Jens. The last one must have given you a fright. One question, are they always out in the daytime in Sweden.

Willpar.

[Nic]

Hi Jens

It’s good to see the hogs there in Sweden. Like Willpar, I was wondering about the daylight – or is it a special camera? Although, are the nights shorter there than here, in the Summer?

The hogs seem to be very feisty! I noticed some very pale fur on some of them. Is that common there?

[Jens]

I was really scared, and happy to manage without spoiling the filming.

My first memory of hedgehogs before dark was as a child sitting in a sunchair in the afternoon. A hedgehog slowly walked and then the last bit rushed and tried to kill and eat my indextoe, probably without realising the attatchement to the toe.

Probably one reason is the very light summer nights. In the middle of the summer it doesn’t really get dark.

Maybe another reason is that they get fed and are not so afraid of people. I’ve seen tree hedgehogs simultaneously in the playground where there is almost no shelter.

We had many hedgehogs maybe ten hears ago and now the two last years. I have friends coming here for a 300 metres of hedgehogsafari. I think there were more this year than 2016.

I have filmed everything but the hunting hoglet with a ordinary cellphone. Sometimes with a selfiestick that allows for smother movement.

I’m so happy to have them here. People have asked me to tell children to be nice to them so last year I sometimes caught and lifted them to let children be close to them without. I tell them (with very little luck) how to behave around them. With one child at a time it can be possible to feed a hedgehog.

[Jens]

Answer to Nic. About pale fur. I realise that I have lots to learn. I haven’t noticed individual looks and will look at the movies and next years hedgehogs in another way. This is totaly new for me! Thanks!

[Jens]

Here are some more link to videos from this summer

Calling a hedgehog. I think that the sound I use for calling might be interpreted as the sound of a eating hedgehog and attracts another hedgehog to the food. In shorter distance about two metres it can work to draw the hand in the vegetation. Maybe it imitates the sound of some prey.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/35510312424/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

Hedgehog raiding bag with feed. There were 3 hedgehogs around me and I was speaking on the phone. The plastic bag with some cheese crumbs was behind me. One hedgehog found it and went in so i finished the phonecall and filmed it going out after eating what was left in the bag
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/36068283664/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

Feeding one hoglet:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/36157949743/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

Feeding three hoglets:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/36966941975/in/album-72157672476221933/

This one got afraid when a friend left a bit too hastily. It often takes more than explaining for people to understand what scares them. I caught it, took it back to the light and filmed while feeding:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/36966906885/in/album-72157672476221933/lightbox/

[Jens]

If You like to see all my hedgehog videos and pics and maybe sharper, they can be found here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/albums/72157672476221933/with/35773871540/

[Nic]

Hi Jens

If you look at the hedgehogs facial features carefully, you will find that you can identify the different hedgehogs by sight. Some of them also have other features which are different, such as spine colour and the skirt (the furry bit underneath the spines). There is sometimes a ‘band’ between the spines and the skirt. It can be very rewarding recognising individual hedgehogs this way. When you get used to looking carefully, it becomes easier. I immediately noticed the hedgehog in your first video clip had dark facial markings which were very striking against the pale fur.

I usually draw a sketch when there is a new hedgehog and my profile picture is a sort of template for this. I find drawing makes me look more carefully at the tiny differences in the shapes of the facial markings, etc. I’m not much of an artist, but still find it helps.

Are the hedgehogs there hibernating now? Most of the ones here are. Just a few left.

[Jens]

I will try to draw them as well as making portait photos at the hog resturant. Still I cannot see what you describe, but with time I will. Have noticed different colours of the skin on the paws.

I filmed the last adult 10 august and the last juvenile 1 september. Later in september I think saw one dropping. I was biking with a headlight on a place i had seen a juvenile earlier and saw one dropping. Lauging a bit at myself for noticing it in the dark. I have read that they hibernate longer at colder places (not very surprising) and also that they often leave gardens for forest some time before hibernation.

Also I’ve read that they shift hibernating place depending on whether it deteriorates and that it depends on how well their leaves are supported by other vegetation. A place under a log or under brambles will last longer that one of just leaves.

Have talked to someone in a municipal organisation that next time a big tree fall in the town they will take part of it with branches to the woods here for children to play and for any other organisms. The woods close to living areas here are without any logs.

I live where there are flats and have started to grow a perennial garden. One summers day when I watered the artichokes (where i’ve put in lots of green manure between the plants) two hogs came out. I’m happy that they found a place to stay during day. I put large amounts of leaves between hedges and a metal fence. Think the municipality could do similarly and saving money while making soil for bushes, food and shelter for hedgehogs.

In one of the woods (to make a place for hibernation) I’ve cut horisontally into a rotten treestump, filled the hole with leaves and bent a mudflap for truck over it. Covered it with branches to camoflage it for people. The entrance is probably to wide to give good protection. I don´t own any land so have to be inventive.

[Nic]

Hi Jens

I’m sure if you have noticed different marks on their feet, you will soon notice the facial differences once you focus more on them. I have only recently started noticing that some of them have different ‘blobs’ on their legs as well.

The hedgehogs in your films look a bit different to the ones here, and it almost makes me wonder whether they have evolved slightly differently. I was looking at a world distribution map of hedgehogs and it does look as if the ones in Sweden may be slightly isolated from those in the rest of Europe. Of course the ones here are isolated from those in mainland Europe as well. Do you have books about hedgehogs in Sweden? Are many people interested in them?

I notice that you are much more ‘hands on’ with the hedgehogs than I am here, but wonder whether that is partly because you and the hedgehogs are around together more, during daylight hours. I can see why you handle them – to encourage the children to be more interested in them, which is a good thing. I suppose there, the hedgehogs don’t have any choice but to venture out during daylight. If they were out during daylight, here, it would be worrying and may indicate that they are unwell. It is nearly always dark when the hedgehogs visit my garden. I put food and water out, but avoid too much interaction with them and like to watch their behaviour from inside the house – only catching them if they need help for some reason. We don’t get much opportunity of filming them during daylight – only occasionally in mid-summer. Lots of people here have night, motion sensitive, cameras to film the hedgehogs, but of course they are all in black and white.

It sounds as if hibernation there is quite a bit earlier than here. Here the males usually go first – that can be early to mid-September. The females are left to get on with looking after the hoglets. Once the hoglets are independent most of the females disappear and then the hoglets can be around quite a while later. I still (unusually – they normally disappear early November) have one adult female visiting. She is one of the regulars and has been visiting for many years. There are also two independent hoglets (possibly hers, but no way of telling).

I am glad to hear we are not the only ones showing interest in hedgehog droppings! It often makes me laugh too!

Good work helping to make shelters for the hedgehogs and getting the municipal organisation to help out. The dead wood will make homes for beetles, etc. as well – more food for the hedgehogs! Do they sell hedgehog houses there, as they do here? And special hedgehog food?

It is really interesting hearing about the differences and similarities.

[Annie]

Thanks for sharing the video Jens. Makes for an Interesting viewing.

[Author]

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