Hedgehogs are in stress because of hibernation

Hedgehogs prepare for the winter

19/10/2013

Life for hedgehogs is characterized by stress right from the start. Most Igel babies are born only in August, but by the end of October they must have had enough fat deposits for hibernation. Experts advise against false help for hedgehogs during the winter.

Hedgehogs are in stress from birth
Hedgehogs are confronted with stress from birth. Two out of three spiked newborns are born in August, and by the end of October they must have been eating enough fat deposits for the winter. For hibernation, which can take five to six months, they require a minimum weight of 500 to 600 grams, which they have to eat through insects, roots, fallen fruit, seeds and nuts. Although the first hibernation is the last hibernation for most of the young hedgehogs, experts advise against bringing underweight animals into human dwellings, as this does not significantly increase their survival rates for a variety of reasons.

Do not give milk to hedgehogs
Stefan Bosch from the environmental organization Nabu explains: „Only if a hedgehog is noticeably malnourished or ill should it be cared for or handed over to a hedgehog station.“ It is true that sick animals, such as staggering, food denying or those who do not curl up, can be brought to the vet; the costs usually have to be taken over by the hedgehog's finder himself. If gardeners find orphaned babies or even after the onset of winter still stray animals, human help is appropriate. Undercooled hedgehogs could be warmed up, for example, with a towel that has been toweled and heated properly with a hot water bottle. After that, the animal should be put in a box. In any case, helpers should visit a hedgehog station or a veterinarian.

Do not give milk to hedgehogs
Since hedgehogs are twilight and nocturnal, you can put them in the evening some dry cat food and a bowl of water in the garden. But no milk, because their sugar leads to bad diarrhea in the animals. If shelters such as crockery huts, root systems, dry stone walls, staircases, composting huts, hedges and rice piles are present, they make it easier for the animals to find suitable winter quarters. „In addition, self-made hedgehog houses or hedgehog domes made of wood-concrete can be offered“ says Bosch.

Hedgehog out of the danger zone
In this country, more than half a million hedgehogs are overrun annually by a car. The animals do not seem to be able to assess the danger. Hedgehog friends therefore advise to carry the animals out of the danger zone if necessary. Especially on smaller, less traveled roads, this is often only a little effort. Flavia Zangerle from the Hedgehog Center Zurich says: „It is best to carry it to the side of the street that it wanted to visit.“ There would be little point in keeping the animal farther away from traffic, „because hedgehogs are true to location“, so the expert. If they were pulled out of their usual area, they immediately went back on the move and would probably sooner or later cross a street again. (Ad)