Forum menu
8.00 pm BBC 2
The usual suspects
Bring it on.
Luckily, we had some snow yesterday and last night!
Whilst you're waiting here is our pet* HH, Turbo Legs, nesting away in the workshop...
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/49454016931_61f6dafb7f_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/49454016931_61f6dafb7f_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2im5Lhk ]Turbo Legs nesting[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
* Autumn juvenile who was too light to hibernate, so is being fattened up indoors.
Is it a hedgehog?
Yep, male HH. Found very underweight and parasite ridden. Spent a couple of weeks at the local HH hospital being treated before being returned for convalescence.
Click on the image and it should go through to a video...
Judging by the amount of food our little spiny visitors put away, being underweight isn’t likely to be an issue! One nests at the bottom of the garden, in an upturned plastic planter, which is both stuffed with, and almost buried in fallen leaves.
I’m not entirely sure how it gets in and out, to be honest.
This is the most recent photo I’ve taken, it does change over time, as the occupant rearranges things
Winterwatch also on the red button now.
Judging by the amount of food our little spiny visitors put away, being underweight isn’t likely to be an issue!
It's the intestinal parasites which can cripple them, they causes several side effects, hyper activity (hence the name Turbo Legs), reduced appetite and diarrhoea; all of which stop them putting on weight.
Once they've been treated they gain over 100g a week on a kibble diet and can double body weight in under a month. I've had to put ours on a low calorie diet to stop him getting fat as the plan is to put him out to hibernate when we get the right temps for a week or so. NB If they get too fat they can't fully curl up and have no exposed flesh showing.
NB Given I have one living in the workshop, I don't miss the diarrhoea one bit!
and can double body weight in under a month
Don't we all at this time of year.
Don’t we all at this time of year.
Speak for yourself, I walk too much every day to put on any weight, despite my g/f’s best efforts!