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by WHITE BEAR on July 9th, 2007

WHITE BEAR

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What do hedgehogs eat?

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  • by GiraffeyedDonor-ish on July 9th, 2007

    GiraffeyedDonor-ish

    In the wild, one of their favourite foods is the moth larvae, commonly known as the cut-worm, a pest that damages young plants and vegetables at ground level. The larvae of these moths i.e. the turnip moth and its relatives, form nearly a quarter of the hedgehogs diet especially in April when these pests are most active on the newly forming plants. One hedgehog can dispose of thirty or more of these pests every night! Along with any caterpillars that come into reach. Beetles are another of its favourites, in particular the vegetarian beetles such as the strawberry seed beetle, seventy five were found to have been eaten by one hedgehog at a single sitting.
    These insects make up the majority of a hedgehogs diet as they are high in nutrition. Later in the year they will start eating more slugs, snails and other slower moving prey because these are high in fat content, which the hedgehog will need to last them through their winter hibernation.
    If they come across any dead carcass, such as a mouse, rat or bird they will dispose of that as well.
    In captivity, tined cat food seems to suit them best (not the fish varieties) along with plenty of clean water, however if you can find a few slugs for them they will always be welcomed. Check that the slugs are healthy and not beginning to dissolve, an early sign of slug pellets doing their work. You will kill the hedgehog if you feed them slugs that have been affected by slug pellets.
    Never feed them bread and milk, many people seem to think this is the best food for them but it is an old wives tale. Cows milk cannot be digested by a hedgehog and it will result in dehydration and eventually death.
    Baby hedgehogs, hoglets, need a special formula based on goats milk. Please contact me direct for further instruction on looking after hoglets.

    hope this helped.
    http://www.hedgehogs.org.uk/facts/page4.html

    Comments

    • Slugs and Snails are two of the things which should not be given to hedgehogs. They have a parasite. Lungworm. This causes breathing difficuties and often results in death.
      Beatles, Caterpillars, Earthworms are the main staple diet. Slugs and Snails are only eaten when desperate for food.
      Rivercoa.

      rivercoa

      by rivercoa on June 3rd, 2010

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