Gardeners take note - Why hedgehogs are currently staggering around and running in circles
Have you ever seen hedgehogs running circular paths? In the currently warm summer nights, this strange ritual can sometimes be observed in our gardens or parks.
A few years ago at our home, for instance: In the late evening, two hedgehogs appeared on the terrace, completely unfazed by human presence. The one hedgehog circled the other in somewhat wobbly movements. My husband asked worriedly if the hedgehog with apparent equilibrium issues might be a case for the veterinarian. We decided to wait and not disturb them.
This was a good decision – for we had stumbled upon a love story: The mating ritual is appropriately named "hedgehog merry-go-round." The male hedgehog circles the female constantly. This can last for hours, as at the beginning, the female is usually uninterested, raises its spines, and hisses. It even happens that he becomes so engrossed in his circular movements that she takes the opportunity to escape.
The hedgehog must put in a great deal of effort to convince the female
Male hedgehogs must therefore put in a lot of effort to get the female to lower her spines and allow them to mate. These nocturnal and crepuscular animals seem to lose their sense of time during the mating season. It has even happened in our garden that two hedgehogs were still sitting in the bed early in the morning – presumably deeply in love – when it was already broad daylight.
But the romance is short-lived: After mating, the male hedgehog leaves. She gives birth to the young on her own and is then a single parent.
In these days, the first little hedgehogs are born throughout Germany. The German Wildlife Foundation draws attention to this. Gardeners should be careful, as hedgehog nests could be located where there is leaf piles and dead wood.
In such cases, gardening should be done carefully or avoided for a while. Hedgehog mothers, disturbed by the noise, could leave the nest, alerting animal welfare organizations. Then the offspring, which is suckled for the first six weeks of its life, would starve.
A close look helps – is the hedgehog in love or in need of help?
Gardeners should also pay close attention when hedgehogs behave strangely. Not every "rolling" is in the throes of love. Animal welfare organizations point this out. Our gardens pose many dangers to hedgehogs, ranging from lawn mowers to toxic substances.
Lone hedgehogs sitting in the grass are often not orphans but are being cared for by their mothers. This can even happen during the day. In general, they should be left alone and observed.
It takes five to six weeks for hedgehogs to grow large enough to venture out on their own. They become sexually mature after their first winter. Then they are ready for the next round of the "hedgehog merry-go-round."
Sources: Press release and information for hedgehog-friendly gardens from the German Wildlife Foundation, "Pro-Igel.de," Here on YouTube, you can see a hedgehog merry-go-round in a video.
Watch the video: The Wildlife Protection Association North Rhine-Westphalia draws attention to a regrettably common but fatal problem with lawn mowers: Lawn mowers often seriously injure or kill garden animals.
Despite the early morning sun, two hedgehogs were found engrossed in their mating ritual in a German garden, showcasing the extended duration of this behavior during the mating season. Later in the year, theaced Gardeners in Germany must be cautious while gardening, as hedgehog nests could be hidden in leaf piles and dead wood to avoid disturbing the hedgehog mothers and their newborn offspring.
