Prickly Question

Look what we caught behind the garage! Ouch!

So to answer the question we are all wondering, the female presses her belly to the floor and flattens her spines.

Hedgehogs are sexually mature at 2 years. They are promiscuous and part as soon as the act is done, the male having no part in raising any hoglets that might be born about 35 days later.

There are usually 4-5 urchins in a litter but they are rarely all successfully weaned. They feed initially from their mother and then leave the nest and forage with her at about 3-4 weeks. They leave her completely after only another 10 days.

Some females will have a second litter but any hoglets born in the Autumn are unlikely to lay down enough fat to survive the winter.

Today was hot, hotter than forecast so I had my lunch outside at 21C. I did take other pics as it was so sunny, but none were as suitable for Wild Wednesday as the hedgehogs.