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| Photo credit: Becky Thomas |
It's
getting into hibernation time now so our October Mammal of the Month
is our prickly friend, the hedgehog.
Our
top 5 facts for the hedgehog are:
1.
They live for up to 10 years, though most live only 2-3 years
2.
They breed between April and September, with litter sizes of 4-5
3.
They travel up to 2 km every night hunting for food and in built-up
areas have been shown to use up to 10 gardens each.
4.
When hibernating they may awaken several times to build a new nest
5.
They are good swimmers (but often get stuck in modern smooth-sided
ponds so please consider a ramp using a plank of wood if you have
one)
If
you see any hedgehogs, or any other mammals this month, please record
it for us here.
Of
course we hope that all of your sightings will be of live hedgehogs
but sightings of dead ones are useful records too so please enter
these as well.
Check
out the Mammal Society's fact sheet here to learn more.
