Britain's hedgehogs at risk from unpredictable winter weather

The warm and wet weather in December followed by a cold snap this week is causing trouble for hedgehogs, which usually hibernate at this time of year

By Sophie Jamieson

5:42PM GMT 11 Jan 2016

Britain’s hedgehog population is being put at risk by the unpredictable winter weather, with an anticipated cold snap expected to cause more problems for the prickly creatures.

Hedgehogs usually hibernate between mid-November and mid-March, but the mild winter means many may not have done so yet.

With December the wettest month on record, the animals may have struggled to find enough to eat as food supplies can be depleted in heavy rain. Others could already have been washed away and killed by floodwaters.

With a cold snap expected this week, there are fears that some of the surviving hedgehogs will be forced into hibernation while still underweight.

Fay Vass, Chief Executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said her organisation had received lots of calls about hedgehogs that have not hibernated yet.

“There are still hedgehogs out and about,” she said.

“A prolonged cold snap will force them into hibernation and if they’re underweight they won’t survive it.”

Hedgehog hospitals are filling up because the creatures have been more active than usual at this time of year and have become injured, or because they are underweight.

Angela Squires who runs the CRASH hedgehog hospital in Canford Heath, near Bournmouth said: "Because of this confusingly warm weather I'm still getting small underweight hogglets coming in every day and lots of phone calls I can't get round to answering.

"I'm now totally full, with no more cages or room to put them in.

"It's a nightmare, as the hedgehogs that are in now can't be released until next April, so unless they die, which rarely happens, there will never be a cage free for any new patients."

Hedgehogs have also suffered from the effects of flooding as storms hit Britain over the Christmas period.

“If they’re in hibernation or in a nest that’s flooded, they can swim, but if they’re in hibernation they may not be alert enough to save themselves and even if they do there’s not much area that’s stable for a dry nest or sources of food,” Ms Vass said.

This week will feel like the first real week of winter for many, with low temperatures, widespread frost and sprinklings of snow, according to the Met Office.

Until now the weather has been unseasonably warm - good news for some creatures, including squirrels, which have been getting noticeably fatter thanks to the an increased food supply in the mild weather.

Snow is due to affect the south of England on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures dropping below freezing overnight.

The snow is unlikely to settle on lower ground, and should not have enough impact to cause travel chaos, although motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are being warned of the risk of frost and ice on roads.

The cold could also be bad news for Britain’s plants. With some crops flowering earlier than usual, horticulture experts have warned of possible shortages of asparagus and risks to fruit supplies.

Asparagus has already sprouted in some places, but the crop could be destroyed by frost.

Guy Barter, Chief Horticultural Advisor at the Royal Horticultural Society, said: “There’s a risk with asparagus because it really doesn’t like being frosted so if it comes up and those tender young shoots are frosted it may be then no good at all.”

If the crop does survive and is harvested early, there may then be no asparagus left for the normal season in April and May.

Mr Barter said daffodils had flowered earlier than he had ever known in 20 years of working for the RHS.

“I think it’s extraordinary. There’s been nothing like this. It’s really very exciting. Plants are remarkably robust and able to react to different conditions but there are limits and it’s going to be very interesting to see.”

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