I almost didn’t notice these hedgehog quills during a recent woodland walk. It was grey, the path muddy, the portion of well squashed hog sitting among a drift of brown leaves so well camouflaged.
I have no idea what befell the poor hedgehog. This spot was well away from any roads and I think the creature must have been long dead as there was no smell. Perhaps it had died in the woods somewhere, a dog had found the carcass, and brought it to the path to show its master.
As I scanned the surrounding area for clues, I noticed these two pieces of jaw, one upper and one lower, which a quick internet search revealed must also once have belonged to the deceased hedgehog. It was a somewhat gory but quite educational find.
Toffeeapple said:
Sadly it is true that they are fewer. I last saw one on Christmas Day about twenty years ago, clearly it should have been hibernating so I doubt it survived for long.
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Toffeeapple said:
An interesting find – one that doesn’t happen frequently.
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sconzani said:
I’ve never seen a live hedgehog in Britain, and have rarely seen dead ones – not so many about these days, I don’t think.
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