Hedgehogs are waking up from their long winter slumber but they cannot move about as they need

In March, hedgehogs are waking up from hibernation and will soon begin venturing out from their cosy nests in search of food

Slugs, worms, woodlice, beetles, and caterpillars  make for perfect protein rich food for hedgehogs. Birds’ eggs are something that hedgehogs have a taste for too, when they can get them.

Hedgehogs are one of the only mammals here who hibernate in winter. Now, in March, hedgehogs are wakening from their long winter slumber and will soon begin venturing out from their cosy moss-lined nests. Initially, in order to save on energy, they stay near the hedge or scrubby ground where they’ve been hiding out all winter. Each hedgehog emerging in spring will be up to 40% lighter than when they went in to hibernation in October, all the energy they stored away as body fat having been used up.

During the day, they doze in the safety of their nest. As dusk descends, they shuffle out on their short little legs, nosing through undergrowth and leaf litter, earnestly sniffing for food. With their long, pointed snout and excellent sense of smell, it’s not hard to find the slugs, worms, woodlice, beetles, and caterpillars that make for perfect protein rich food. Birds’ eggs are something that hedgehogs have a taste for too, when they can get them. It is thought that their enthusiasm for slugs in particular was probably the reason why hedgehogs were introduced to Ireland in the first place.