Newsletters
August 2012 Newsletter
Hedgehogs In August All these changes to our weather make it difficult to predict how the hedgehogs will fare. The warm spell in March has lead to a number of litters being born very early. Those female hedgehogs with successful early litters and those with unsuccessful later litters will be thinking about having second brood. These are likely to be born in August and September, giving rise to the next batch of autumn juveniles. Very few autumn juveniles survive the winter. They are too small. But that’s another story. Damp weather...
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Hedgehogs In July kindly written for Brackley HogWatch by Kay Bullen VN (Hedgehog Author, BHPS trustee and founder of a hedgehog rescue centre in Cardiff) There will be many female hedgehogs giving birth in July and those hoglets born in early June will soon be out foraging with their mothers. Hoglets are born blind and naked. However within 2 hours of being born a cushion of fluid that covers their first set of prickles is absorbed and the prickles appear. They have around 200 white prickles that are in straight lines running from...
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HEDGEHOGS IN JUNE kindly written for Brackley HogWatch by Kay Bullen VN (Hedgehog Author, BHPS trustee and founder of a hedgehog rescue centre in Cardiff) June is the time when many of the female hedgehogs will be giving birth to their hoglets. Having said that the mild weather in March has already resulted in a few early litters! A typical litter will consist of 4-5 hoglets. Sometimes the expectant mothers will suddenly decide to make further additions to their nursery nest or even make a last minute move to a new site. So you...
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HEDGEHOGS IN MAY kindly written for Brackley HogWatch by Kay Bullen VN (Hedgehog Author, BHPS trustee and founder of a hedgehog rescue centre in Cardiff) Most hedgehogs will be awake by now and the females will be thinking about having a family. Some will already be pregnant, whilst others still have the courtship ritual to go through. Hedgehog courtship is a very noisy affair. They are normally solitary animals and the females take a lot of encouragement to co-operate. On meeting with any hedgehog they will often huff and hiss,...
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