I'm glad to report that the hedgehog with paintmarks on its back which I photographed on Thursday night has been making return visits. I think some of the paint may have been rubbed off because the pattern looked a little different. I did consider that it might be a different hog that had also been marked in a similar way, but having studied these photographs very closely and compared them with Thursday's photo, I am confident that this is the same hedgehog.
The paint can be seen more clearly in this next photo (below) which shows the hedgehog from behind. The hog also appears to have a tick on its back. These parasites are quite common on hedgehogs. Apparently if you apply baby oil, the tick suffocates and falls off.
Here we see the hog doing what hogs love to do best, namely eating. This bowl contains dried mealworms, crushed peanuts and sunflower hearts. The mealworms always disappear the fastest. The other bowl in the feeding station I have recently been filling with Spike's Dinner, a brand of food specifically for hedgehogs that you can buy from pet shops. It is similar to dried cat food. You can also feed them on cat food, so long as it isn't a fishy variety.
This final picture is of a different hedgehog that was sneaking around behind me whilst I was re-filling the food bowls. Note the two bricks behind it. This is where I put the video camera for my hog videos.
I know that a lot of hedgehogs come to my garden, because I have seen a lot of different hedgehogs of different sizes, but the most I had seen at any one time was three. Last night was a first for me, because I saw four all on the garden patio at the same time. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera to hand, and couldn't have fitted them all into a single shot at the same time anyway.
I'm glad to report that the hedgehog with paintmarks on its back which I photographed on Thursday night has been making return visits. I think some of the paint may have been rubbed off because the pattern looked a little different. I did consider that it might be a different hog that had also been marked in a similar way, but having studied these photographs very closely and compared them with Thursday's photo, I am confident that this is the same hedgehog.
The paint can be seen more clearly in this next photo (below) which shows the hedgehog from behind. The hog also appears to have a tick on its back. These parasites are quite common on hedgehogs. Apparently if you apply baby oil, the tick suffocates and falls off.
Here we see the hog doing what hogs love to do best, namely eating. This bowl contains dried mealworms, crushed peanuts and sunflower hearts. The mealworms always disappear the fastest. The other bowl in the feeding station I have recently been filling with Spike's Dinner, a brand of food specifically for hedgehogs that you can buy from pet shops. It is similar to dried cat food. You can also feed them on cat food, so long as it isn't a fishy variety.
This final picture is of a different hedgehog that was sneaking around behind me whilst I was re-filling the food bowls. Note the two bricks behind it. This is where I put the video camera for my hog videos.
I know that a lot of hedgehogs come to my garden, because I have seen a lot of different hedgehogs of different sizes, but the most I had seen at any one time was three. Last night was a first for me, because I saw four all on the garden patio at the same time. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera to hand, and couldn't have fitted them all into a single shot at the same time anyway.
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A really great set of photographs you have there. I wonder if you have an extended family. Last year I had an adult and two youngsters in the garden and I think the small one which visits is one of last years brood.
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