Found a hedgehog in your Cornwall garden? Don’t weigh it

Spotted a hedgehog snuffling round the garden and wondered whether it ought to be tucked up for the winter by now?

According to the people who look after them, it is still very early. Despite autumn being well under way, Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue says it is too soon in the season for hedgehogs in Cornwall to be hibernating.

What tells a hedgehog it is time to sleep

One of the key environmental triggers for hibernation is night-time temperatures staying consistently below 5°C.

The rescue says Cornwall is still a long way from those conditions, so hedgehogs and other garden wildlife may stay active for some time yet.

There is also no set date when hibernation begins. Hedgehogs still have time to put on weight, particularly in a relatively mild climate like Cornwall’s, and especially where people are putting out supportive food.

Why the scales can mislead

The rescue is using the moment to ask people not to weigh hedgehogs they find in their gardens.

A hedgehog’s weight on its own tells very little about its health, or whether it is ready to hibernate. Assessing a hedgehog properly means looking at its behaviour and body condition alongside other signs of health.

You may have seen minimum hibernation weights shared widely on social media. But the rescue points out that many of these figures are not scientifically established thresholds published in research.

“A number on the scales is just a number,” the rescue said. “It doesn’t tell you whether a hedgehog is healthy.”

What to do if you are worried

If you are concerned about a hedgehog, or you see one out and about in the daytime, Prickles and Paws asks that you contact the rescue straight away for advice.

Its message to garden-watchers is simple: “Let’s focus on the hedgehog, not the number!”

📷Credit: Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue