We meet a baby French hedgehog

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A day ago we are in Availles Limouzine in the Vienne area in France. Vince went for a walk looking for something to photograph and came across a young hedgehog. We don’t have these in Australia although they have been introduced to New Zealand. The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog is widespread in Europe. A woman was stopping the hedgehog from taking a nosedive off a bridge which crossed a small drain. She believed the hedgehog was much too small to be out and about at that time as they are normally nocturnal. She was going to keep it in a covered box and release it later in the evening at the same place. I googled ‘hedgehog’ and found that the average litter is four to six young which the mother raises herself. The young are born blind and covered with small spines. By 11 days of age they can roll themselves into a ball. They are weaned at around four to six weeks of age. They are omnivorous and generally welcomed in gardens as they consume a variety of pests. Vince was told that they are rarely seen here and tend to get killed on the roads. When you see him compared to the woman’s hands, he is a very small little creature. I hope he found his Mum when he was released.