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Hedgehogs sleep for a large portion of the day under bushes, grasses, rocks, or most commonly in dens dug underground. All wild hedgehogs can hibernate, though the duration depends on temperature, species, and abundance of food. Hedgehogs are fairly vocal, with a variety of grunts, snuffles and/or squeals.
Wildlife experts say warmer temperatures mean less hibernation and more parasites for hedgehogs.
Hedgehogs do not reach the same weight in New Zealand as in colder parts of Europe. With its milder winters, New Zealand hedgehogs hibernate for only three months of the year so do not need to put on so much weight in autumn as their ancestors. In northern New Zealand, many hedgehogs do not hibernate at all.
They do not hibernate in the wild, and if one of these African hedgehogs begins hibernation in response to lowered body temperature, the result can be its death. The process is easily reversed by warming, if caught within a few days of onset.
In central and southern New Zealand, hedgehogs hibernate for about three months of the year but few hibernate at all in the warmer northern parts of the country. Wild pigs, dogs, cats [ citation needed ] are predators of the hedgehog, and the flightless, endemic weka and pūkeko [ citation needed ] will prey on nestlings. [ 2 ]
Hedgehogs are nocturnal and need a dark sleeping place in the daytime, so make sure to include a little hiding spot like a small hut, a hollow plastic log, or a wooden box. A hedgehog crunching ...
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The desert hedgehog is one of the smallest of hedgehogs. It is 5.5 to 11 inches (140 to 280 mm) long and weighs about 10 to 18 ounces (280 to 510 g). The quills (or spines to give their correct name) on its back can be banded with coloring similar to the four-toed hedgehog. It is usually identified by its dark muzzle.