Hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus
- Size
- About 25cm long
- Look for it
- March to November
- Where
- Gardens, parks and hedgerows
A prickly night-time visitor, snuffling through the garden for beetles and worms.
The hedgehog that follows you
It's dark, and your pointer is a lamp. Move it slowly and see who comes out to follow you. Choose a different animal at the bottom, and tap the notes to open them.
Macclesfield right now checking the sky…
Try another sky
01 · SpinesThousands of spines
An adult hedgehog has around five to seven thousand spines, which are really stiff, hollow hairs.
02 · TravelA long walk
A hedgehog can wander a mile or more in a single night looking for food and a mate.
03 · HighwaysHedgehog highways
A 13cm hole at the bottom of a fence lets hedgehogs travel between gardens.
04 · WinterHibernation
Hedgehogs hibernate through the coldest months, usually from around November to March.
05 · FoodNo milk, please
They eat beetles, caterpillars and worms. Never give them milk: it makes them ill. Meaty cat food and water are fine.
06 · HelpThey need us
Hedgehog numbers have fallen a lot, so wild corners, log piles and holes in fences really help.
Meet them all
Who's about after dark
Common pipistrelle
Pipistrellus pipistrellus
- Size
- Wingspan about 20cm
- Look for it
- April to October
- Where
- Gardens, parks and near water at dusk
Tiny bats flitting round at dusk, catching insects by sound.
Glow-worm
Lampyris noctiluca
- Size
- Females up to about 2.5cm
- Look for it
- June to August
- Where
- Grassland, hedge banks and railway banks
Not a worm but a beetle: the female glows green on summer nights to call the males.
Red fox
Vulpes vulpes
- Size
- About 65cm, plus a 40cm tail
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Towns, gardens, fields and woods
A sleek, bushy-tailed visitor, as at home in towns as in the countryside.
Tawny owl
Strix aluco
- Size
- About 38cm long
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Woods, parks and big gardens with trees
A round-faced brown owl, the one whose calls you hear on autumn nights.
Large yellow underwing
Noctua pronuba
- Wingspan
- About 5cm
- Look for it
- June to October
- Where
- Gardens everywhere, drawn to lights
Brown moths that flash bright yellow hindwings as they fly. One of our commonest moths.
Through the year
When to look for them
The green months are when you're most likely to see each one in Britain. The animal following you is shown in red.
Hedgehog
Bats
Glow-worm
Fox
Tawny owl
Moths
Make room for them
Six ways to help the night shift
Make a hedgehog hole
A gap about 13cm square at the bottom of a fence lets hedgehogs roam between gardens to find food and mates.
Water, not milk
Leave out a shallow dish of water, and meaty cat or dog food if you like. Never milk: it makes hedgehogs ill.
Turn the lights down
Bright outdoor lights confuse moths and put off bats. Use them only when you need them, and keep some of the garden dark.
Build a log pile
A heap of logs and leaves in a quiet corner shelters hedgehogs, beetles and the slugs and snails that glow-worm larvae eat.
Plant for the night
Honeysuckle, evening primrose and jasmine release their scent at dusk and feed moths, which in turn feed bats.
Check before you cut
Look for hedgehogs before strimming long grass, turning the compost or lighting a bonfire.
Photo gallery
Real photos of the animals on this page. Tap one to see it bigger.
Hedgehog
Common pipistrelle
Glow-worm
Red fox
Tawny owl
Large yellow underwing
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons and are used under free licences. Open a photo to see who took it.
Now wait for dark
Stand in the garden at dusk on a warm evening, keep quiet and let your eyes adjust. Bats are often the first to appear.
Back to the top