Hedgehogs may not hibernate in New Zealand

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When I was researching hedgehogs after a little one was found in Availles-Limouzine in France, I found it interesting to learn that it is an ‘invasive exotic species’ in New Zealand. It seems that, for sentimental reasons, colonists in the 1860s to the 1890s took hedgehogs from England and Scotland to New Zealand on sailing ships. Few survived the trip and those that did lost all their fleas. I wonder why that was so? They first became established in the South Island and their spread was aided by guards dropping off a few here and there at country railway stations. They were introduced to the North Island around 1906 and from then on their numbers increased dramatically. They were blamed for reducing the number of game-birds – I guess by eating the eggs – and were declared noxious animals and for several years a bounty of one shilling a snout was declared. By the 1950s hedgehogs could be found all over both islands with the exception of the coldest wettest corner of the South Island and alpine areas of permanent snow. As some do not hibernate at all and others only for three months due to the milder climate, they do not reach the same weights as their European counterparts. Around half of all New Zealand hedgehogs have faulty teeth and authorities believe this is because of a genetic factor. In the 1950s, 50 hedgehogs were killed on the roads per 100 kms but the number is now less than 1 per 100 km. Conservationists are keen to limit their numbers as they prey on some rare insects, lizards and ground-nesting birds. Gardeners are usually happy to see them as they eat so many slugs and snails. I wonder if @valmnz has them in her garden? There are many instances where animals have been taken to a foreign country and in time turned out to be a pest so it is probably a good thing they aren’t found in Australia. And this information has been taken from Wikipedia.