Saved from a prickly end: Adorable pictures of baby hedgehogs abandoned when their mothers got lost searching for scarce water in the summer heat

These are just some of the record number of baby hedgehogs being cared for in rescue centres due to this summer’s warm weather – their thirsty mothers having lost them.

Hedgehog mothers with newborns need plenty of water to make milk for their hoglets, but the hot spell has left the land dry.  As a result, mothers often travel so far from home for a drink they forget where they left their litter.



There are also fewer slugs and snails around while hardened soil makes it impossible for hedgehogs to scoop up worms lurking just under the surface.

‘The sunshine may be lovely for humans but it means less food for hedgehogs,’ said Rhonda Lenihan of Leicester Hedgehog Rescue.

These hoglets are being cared for at the Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire.





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2720947/Saved-prickly-end-Adorable-pictures-baby-hedgehogs-abandoned-mothers-got-lost-searching-scarce-water-summer-heat.html

How cute are they??? Max has "alerted" us to hedgehogs in our garden this year.  We are leaving water out for them   x

Awww how cute! I used to get hedgehogs but not for the last few years. Could do with some to eat all the slugs, seems to have loads of the things this year!

harvesmom wrote:Awww how cute! I used to get hedgehogs but not for the last few years. Could do with some to eat all the slugs, seems to have loads of the things this year!

Me too, we've had them indoors too!  They make a silvery trail across the carpet and they have even reached the ceiling leaving their mark   

We haven't had hedgehogs for the past couple of years despite us burying a hedgehog house deep in our borders but they are back   carry fleas and ticks though so always make sure Max is protected x

feelthelove wrote:

harvesmom wrote:Awww how cute! I used to get hedgehogs but not for the last few years. Could do with some to eat all the slugs, seems to have loads of the things this year!

Me too, we've had them indoors too!  They make a silvery trail across the carpet and they have even reached the ceiling leaving their mark   

We haven't had hedgehogs for the past couple of years despite us burying a hedgehog house deep in our borders but they are back   carry fleas and ticks though so always make sure Max is protected x

Now you know why women have legs
 ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: 

victorisnotamused wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Me too, we've had them indoors too!  They make a silvery trail across the carpet and they have even reached the ceiling leaving their mark   

We haven't had hedgehogs for the past couple of years despite us burying a hedgehog house deep in our borders but they are back   carry fleas and ticks though so always make sure Max is protected x

Now you know why women have legs
 ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: ::smthg:: 

How rude Naughty Victor

feelthelove wrote:

harvesmom wrote:Awww how cute! I used to get hedgehogs but not for the last few years. Could do with some to eat all the slugs, seems to have loads of the things this year!

Me too, we've had them indoors too!  They make a silvery trail across the carpet and they have even reached the ceiling leaving their mark   

We haven't had hedgehogs for the past couple of years despite us burying a hedgehog house deep in our borders but they are back   carry fleas and ticks though so always make sure Max is protected x

My slugs head for the rabbit hutch, when I go out last thing to put the cover over the hutch the poor bunnys feed dish is full of them     They all have flying lessons over the fence into next door   

harvesmom wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Me too, we've had them indoors too!  They make a silvery trail across the carpet and they have even reached the ceiling leaving their mark   

We haven't had hedgehogs for the past couple of years despite us burying a hedgehog house deep in our borders but they are back   carry fleas and ticks though so always make sure Max is protected x

My slugs head for the rabbit hutch, when I go out last thing to put the cover over the hutch the poor bunnys feed dish is full of them     They all have flying lessons over the fence into next door   

Slugs + salt = frothy man

victorisnotamused wrote:

harvesmom wrote:

My slugs head for the rabbit hutch, when I go out last thing to put the cover over the hutch the poor bunnys feed dish is full of them     They all have flying lessons over the fence into next door   

Slugs + salt = frothy man

Nooo I can't do it Victor, I've tried the beer thing as well but that doesn't work. And I've done the WD40 thing round the legs of the hutch, the little slimy things still get in there!!

harvesmom wrote:

victorisnotamused wrote:

Slugs + salt = frothy man

Nooo I can't do it Victor, I've tried the beer thing as well but that doesn't work. And I've done the WD40 thing round the legs of the hutch, the little slimy things still get in there!!

WD40 works for me

Nems wrote:

harvesmom wrote:

Nooo I can't do it Victor, I've tried the beer thing as well but that doesn't work. And I've done the WD40 thing round the legs of the hutch, the little slimy things still get in there!!

WD40 works for me

Really?? It seems to work for a day then they come back   

harvesmom wrote:

Nems wrote:

WD40 works for me

Really?? It seems to work for a day then they come back   

To be fair I did use a lot of it!

Nems wrote:

harvesmom wrote:

Really?? It seems to work for a day then they come back   

To be fair I did use a lot of it!

I'll get another few cans and give it another go. I wonder where all the slugs go to overnight though, they are never there in the morning. Do you think the rabbit eats them   

harvesmom wrote:

Nems wrote:

To be fair I did use a lot of it!

I'll get another few cans and give it another go. I wonder where all the slugs go to overnight though, they are never there in the morning. Do you think the rabbit eats them   

euww!

Nems wrote:

harvesmom wrote:

I'll get another few cans and give it another go. I wonder where all the slugs go to overnight though, they are never there in the morning. Do you think the rabbit eats them   

euww!

   sorry!

victorisnotamused wrote:

harvesmom wrote:

My slugs head for the rabbit hutch, when I go out last thing to put the cover over the hutch the poor bunnys feed dish is full of them     They all have flying lessons over the fence into next door   

Slugs + salt = frothy man

Hell, we used to just pee on 'em, when we were kids.

harvesmom wrote:

Nems wrote:
WD40 works for me

Really?? It seems to work for a day then they come back   

   WHY are you good l'il wimmin' folk always so intent on stuffing up the ecology around your yards and houses  ???

WD40 is the last thing you should be using ==> that's plain stoopid..
(And, just think what all of those loose hydocarbons could be doing to your neighbourhood hedgehogs, lizards and rabbits ! ).

AN inch or so of stale beer in an empty butter/margarine container remains the BEST slug and snail killer out there ~ cheap and easy, clean and green, and fun to top up !  
AND the wee little slugs go out happy..   

Lone Wolf wrote:

harvesmom wrote:

Really?? It seems to work for a day then they come back   

   WHY are you good l'il wimmin' folk always so intent on stuffing up the ecology around your yards and houses  ???

WD40 is the last thing you should be using ==> that's plain stoopid..
(And, just think what all of those loose hydocarbons could be doing to your neighbourhood hedgehogs, lizards and rabbits ! ).

AN inch or so of stale beer in an empty butter/margarine container remains the BEST slug and snail killer out there ~ cheap and easy, clean and green, and fun to top up !  
AND the wee little slugs go out happy..   

Tried lager, even gave them some cider once but I think my slugs are tee total they ignored it and went for the rabbits food   

 

I suggest "spiking" the beer to add to it's attractiveness, in such cases !

Fruit juice and/or 'Energy drinks' - just a splash - work a treat..   

The fruit juice attracts the cockroaches, as well !

My Wife tried that, put out a saucer of lager, I looked out of the window 30 mins later and the bloody cat was drinking it!!!

Lone Wolf wrote: 

I suggest "spiking" the beer to add to it's attractiveness, in such cases !

Fruit juice and/or 'Energy drinks' - just a splash - work a treat..   

The fruit juice attracts the cockroaches, as well !

I'll give it a go, but I now have this vision of supercharged slugs , high on my red bull racing each other round my garden  :asbluras: 

nicko wrote:My Wife tried that, put out a saucer of lager,  I looked out of the window 30 mins later and the bloody cat was drinking it!!!

An' granpa, too. Can't keep 'em outta it. Lol

Original Quill wrote:

nicko wrote:My Wife tried that, put out a saucer of lager,  I looked out of the window 30 mins later and the bloody cat was drinking it!!!

An' granpa, too.  Can't keep 'em outta it. Lol

Max would definitely be in there like a shot! Was the cat tiddly Nicko????  

My Jack RussellXBeagle tried to eat a hedgehog that got into "her" garden a few weeks ago.

I learned two lessons from that little episode; one was to staple chicken wire right round the gate and fence posts surrounding her territory and the other was to rue the day I decided to become a journalist and not a vet! Jeez, the fees those buggers charge....

nicko wrote:My Wife tried that, put out a saucer of lager,  I looked out of the window 30 mins later and the bloody cat was drinking it!!!

  

I don't know about beer-swilling oiled up slugs....but I tried to pick up a hedgehog once when I was erm....pissed....thought it was my handbag for some odd reason and anyway, I hurt my hand like you wouldn't believe!!!
Bruised for days it was and no sympathy from anyone once they knew I thought a hedgehog was my handbag.

Did you seriously expect sympathy??????

I mean.....hedgehog.....handbag
handbag....hedgehog.....how difficult can it be??????

whats the difference between hedgehogs and the houses of parliament

one has the pricks on the outside.........

victorisnotamused wrote:Did you seriously expect sympathy??????

I mean.....hedgehog.....handbag
handbag....hedgehog.....how difficult can it be??????

whats the difference between hedgehogs and the houses of parliament

one has the pricks on the outside.........

Look vic, it was dark, I was pished, I out my bag down and picked up a hedgehog! It was fucking big too!!!

I also thought a piece of round bubblegum stuck to the pavement was a coin I dropped once, in the dark and pished.
My boyfriend at the time thought I was nuts as I tried to pick it up.