This little hedgehog was walking along the side of the road when I was driving home from hockey on Sunday.
I wondered why he was wandering around in the middle of winter so looked up Wiki. I found out that hedgehogs in the north of the North Island of NZ often don't hibernate. They hibernate for about three months elsewhere in NZ as opposed to six months in the UK and other parts of Europe. Because they don't have to gain so much weight for hibernation NZ hedgehogs are now smaller than their European counterparts.
Hedgehogs were brought over to NZ in the late 1800s to remind settlers of home and to control slugs, snails, etc. Today they're considered pests in some parts of NZ because they eat native bugs and birds eggs too. Although they themselves are the prey of several species. The hedgehog population peaked in the 1950s but has since fallen.
Hedgehogs in the UK are notorious for carrying fleas but apparently NZ hedgehogs don't have any because the fleas all died on the original ones on the sea journey to NZ.
Great information, and nice photo. Hedgehogs in Tanzania (and other parts of Africa) also don't hibernate, however they go into aestivation, which is similar to hibernation, but in response to heat and lack of food resources.
Such interesting notes on these curious immigrants - there is a hedgehog support agency down here (only in Nelson!) I believe - I think they are wonderful animals, the gardener's friend for all those slugs they consume. Good work getting an unfurled shot.
