New research has revealed that hedgehogs living in the same semi-rural environment can show remarkable variation in their hibernation patterns, with some individuals starting their winter rest as much as three months later than others.
This flexibility, scientists suggest, may help hedgehogs adapt to climate change and urbanisation.
Researchers from Liverpool John Moores University in England studied wild hedgehogs on a disused golf course on the Wirral, monitoring their hibernation behaviours.
The team used radio trackers to monitor the hedgehogs’ movements and skin temperatures, combined with late-night searches using torches. This approach revealed that all five hedgehogs in the study hibernated, but the timing varied widely. Start dates differed by as much as 93 days, and end dates varied by 47 days.
“It was a surprise to see wild hedgehogs living in the same environment have so much variation in their hibernation pattern,” says PhD researcher Katie Crawford, who led the study. One hedgehog began hibernating in mid-September, when temperatures were unusually high at 19°C. Another didn’t enter hibernation until mid-December, by which time the mercury had dropped to -6°C.
Hibernation in hedgehogs involves cycles of torpor, where their metabolic rate and body temperature drop significantly. These torpor stints are typically broken by periods of arousal lasting hours or days. Interestingly, some hedgehogs in the study extended these active periods – likely to look for food – for up to five days at the start and end of the hibernation season.
“Hibernators are at significant risk from climate change because they're very reliant on ambient temperatures," explains Crawford. "When temperatures are higher, they can't save as much energy because they're not reducing their body temperature as low.” This can be problem for animals such as hedgehogs, as when they hibernate, they live off their fat reserves.
“But if hedgehogs are using flexible hibernation strategies to ensure they’re obtaining enough food, this could help them as winters in the UK get milder and less predictable,” says Crawford.
European hedgehogs are listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, with road collisions and habitat loss being key threats. Urban populations in the UK remain stable, while numbers in rural areas are declining.
The researchers acknowledge the study’s small sample size but are already expanding their work to monitor hedgehogs in a range of habitats. Their findings could offer fresh insights into how these beloved creatures navigate an ever-changing world.
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