Mother Hedgehog and her babies

Wildlife is a treasure trove of remarkable stories of survival, nurturance, and the relationship between mothers and their young. Natural fauna presents a great diversity of amazing things, but today, we will teach you everything about hedgehogs and their maternal instincts.

The experience of a hedgehog with her babies is realistic and raw as you witness what reproducing, nurturing, and survival look like in the wild. Hedgehogs are streetwise little creatures, but they are not invincible.

In this article, we will take a look at the life cycle of hedgehogs, the role of the  mom in looking after her babies, and the huge challenges she must overcome to protect them.

The Life Cycle of a Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are small nocturnal animals with rugged spiny coats found across Europe, Asia, and Africa. A typical hedgehog will live for three to seven years, although most become lunch for a predator or a casualty of the road before they reach full adulthood. Their mating habits are central to the species' survival.

Hedgehogs mate mainly in the warmer months, from April to September. The females, known as sows, go into estrus, and this is when they will mate with the males.

A hedgehog pregnancy lasts around 35 days and usually results in litters of four to seven young. Newborn hedgehogs are sometimes called ''hoglets''.

These hoglets are born blind, deaf, and helpless, totally dependent on their mother for warmth, food, and safety. They start out covered in soft white spines, which harden as they get older.

They measure only a few grams at birth. The first few weeks of their life are the most critical for their survival, and the role of the mother is key in these early life moments.

Mother Hedgehog, Her Role

Mother hedgehogs give a stunning display of instinct and care shortly after childbirth. At the same time, the mother will nurse her hoglets, one fat kid at a time, feeding them with rich, creamy milk.

A mother will usually hole up in a den or nest, which she builds up from collected leaves, grass, and other natural materials to create a space that is safe and insulated. This den is a safe place for this mama and her babies, where they are safe from predators.

After that, the mother hedgehog will suckle her babies for about 3 to 4 weeks. Hoglets are born with severely underdeveloped immune systems, so it’s vital that they receive the rich, nutrient dense milk that comes from their mother during this period. This milk is a key to their early life and enables them to build a healthy base for survival.

The mother is extremely protective of her young in the first weeks. And if she feels threatened, she will curl into a ball, trying to protect her babies with her spines. This is a defensive behavior for her but also a way to protect her young from any predators such as birds of prey, foxes, or other animals that would prey on the newborns.

The hoglets will leave their den for short periods as they grow, but they will continue to rely on their mother to show them where to find food and protect them. The vet advised that as the hoglets age, they will learn to forage, though they'll stick with their mother for protection and socialising.

Challenges a Mother Might Face

As protective as a mother hedgehog might be, life in the wild can be harsh, and many challenges can threaten the survival of both babies and their mother.

The most serious enemy for hedgehogs is the destruction of their habitat. As humans build more and more of their homes, hedgehogs are losing vital nesting and foraging sites. The hedgehog faces serious threats from urbanization, deforestation, and pesticides.

Mothers and their babies also face another major danger predators

Hedgehogs have their spines for defense, but young hoglets are prey, and therefore, they are vulnerable.

Birds of prey, badgers, foxes, and some pets, such as dogs, cause major threats to the hedgehog cluster. The mother has to be constantly on guard to protect her young from such threats.

Hedgehogs are also facing worse conditions in the environment, for instance, the climate change that can cause more erratic weather.

A sudden drop in temperature in the first few weeks of a hoglet's life can be deadly if the mother is unable to find enough food to maintain her body temperature and make enough milk to feed her young.

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