The tiny hedgehog family born a month early thanks to Britain's unpredictable weather

**sgelite** · 08-05-2008, 11:02 PM

These baby hedgehogs might be nestling comfortably in the hand of a rescuer but they are actually victims of Britain's unpredictable weather.

Bluebell, Primrose, Daisy and Buttercup - named after spring flowers - were born a month earlier than normal on April 26, making them one of the earliest litters ever seen in the UK.

Experts believe they are the result of mild conditions which brought their mother, April, out of hibernation early.

Tiny: The hedgehogs weighed just 20 grams at birth

No one realised she was pregnant when a member of public handed them into a rescue centre after finding them under a garden shed they were dismantling.

April surprised staff at the Rare Breeds Farm in Totnes, Devon by producing her litter the following day. The hedgehogs weighed 20 grams at birth but are now piling on weight after suckling from their mother.

Manager Barrie Tolley said: "You could fit them all into the palm of your hand when they were born and their spines were white and soft. Now they've become prickly.

"In a few days we will move them onto cat food. It's very nutritious and full of everything they need."

The entire family will be released back into the wild when the babies weigh a healthy 500 grams.

Elizabeth Dyas, founder of Prickly Ball Farm in Devon, which looks after hedgehogs, said: "Normally we start to get small numbers being born at the end of May and beginning of June.

Early arrivals: Bluebell, Primrose, Daisy and Buttercup - named after spring flowers - were born a month earlier than normal on April 26

"When we first started taking them in about 20 years ago there were harsher winters and they hibernated for much longer periods than they do now."

Fay Vass, of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, added: "Traditionally, November to March was hibernation time. Now you often see them out late in December.

"Last year the earliest litter I saw was on March 17, which was extraordinarily early. The gestation period is about four-and-a-half weeks, so the mother must have got pregnant in February."

The average temperature in Devon was 6.5 C in March, when April would have mated - slightly higher than normal.

The county has been warmer than parts of Greece and Italy recently and the temperature hit 21 C on Tuesday and yesterday.

A Met Office spokesman said: "The temperatures at the moment are around three or four degrees above the 15 C average for this time of year."

Hedgehogs are the only British animals to hibernate, alongside bats and dormice.

In December it emerged hundreds of baby hedgehogs were being taken in by rescue centres because they had been born late during an exceptionally warm autumn and were too small or too weak to hibernate.

Surveys have revealed their numbers have been halved to 750,000 in recent years because of unpredictable weather, road deaths and intensive farming practices.

Source: Daily Mail UK, May 8, 2008

**n_o_r_i_k_o** · 09-05-2008, 08:59 AM

so small~!
so cute~!

the weather is affecting the animals normal behavior..
dunno is good or bad in this case... lol..

**fathernature** · 09-05-2008, 01:58 PM

wo yao wo yao

**mayocat** · 09-05-2008, 03:14 PM

wah so tiny

**Huaikong** · 09-05-2008, 10:22 PM

kaoz so small only.....

**n_o_r_i_k_o** · 10-05-2008, 10:55 AM

they look old~~ XD

**burgerboi** · 10-05-2008, 11:02 AM

lol~ soooo wrinkly

they are like last than a week old? but once they started growing fur on their fleshy part of the body, they will look damn cuter

**kwokym** · 10-05-2008, 11:04 AM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by n_o_r_i_k_o
	they look old~~ XD

Soak your face in water for 1 month and you will look OLDER! xD

**n_o_r_i_k_o** · 10-05-2008, 11:09 AM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by kwokym
	Soak your face in water for 1 month and you will look OLDER! xD

LOL~~~ 1 mth~~
no way!!!

they will look cute when their fur grow out de~~ XD
then wont look old le~~ XD

so small~~ hope they fast fast grow bigger..
before anyone accidentally squashed them.. =X

**bennylum79** · 10-05-2008, 11:11 AM

Wow "baby sonic the hedgehog" !
So cute ! Spiky like my hair.... -____-

**uyen** · 10-05-2008, 11:28 AM

very cute,im glad they are in safe hands now.

08-05-2008, 11:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
sgelite Aremis Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,181 iTrader: (0) My Mood: Gender: Zodiac Sign: Country: Location: Somewhere in SG SGC$: 1,800.78 Bank: 2.00 Total SGC$: 1,802.78	The tiny hedgehog family born a month early thanks to Britain's unpredictable weather These baby hedgehogs might be nestling comfortably in the hand of a rescuer but they are actually victims of Britain's unpredictable weather. Bluebell, Primrose, Daisy and Buttercup - named after spring flowers - were born a month earlier than normal on April 26, making them one of the earliest litters ever seen in the UK. Experts believe they are the result of mild conditions which brought their mother, April, out of hibernation early. Tiny: The hedgehogs weighed just 20 grams at birth No one realised she was pregnant when a member of public handed them into a rescue centre after finding them under a garden shed they were dismantling. April surprised staff at the Rare Breeds Farm in Totnes, Devon by producing her litter the following day. The hedgehogs weighed 20 grams at birth but are now piling on weight after suckling from their mother. Manager Barrie Tolley said: "You could fit them all into the palm of your hand when they were born and their spines were white and soft. Now they've become prickly. "In a few days we will move them onto cat food. It's very nutritious and full of everything they need." The entire family will be released back into the wild when the babies weigh a healthy 500 grams. Elizabeth Dyas, founder of Prickly Ball Farm in Devon, which looks after hedgehogs, said: "Normally we start to get small numbers being born at the end of May and beginning of June. Early arrivals: Bluebell, Primrose, Daisy and Buttercup - named after spring flowers - were born a month earlier than normal on April 26 "When we first started taking them in about 20 years ago there were harsher winters and they hibernated for much longer periods than they do now." Fay Vass, of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, added: "Traditionally, November to March was hibernation time. Now you often see them out late in December. "Last year the earliest litter I saw was on March 17, which was extraordinarily early. The gestation period is about four-and-a-half weeks, so the mother must have got pregnant in February." The average temperature in Devon was 6.5 C in March, when April would have mated - slightly higher than normal. The county has been warmer than parts of Greece and Italy recently and the temperature hit 21 C on Tuesday and yesterday. A Met Office spokesman said: "The temperatures at the moment are around three or four degrees above the 15 C average for this time of year." Hedgehogs are the only British animals to hibernate, alongside bats and dormice. In December it emerged hundreds of baby hedgehogs were being taken in by rescue centres because they had been born late during an exceptionally warm autumn and were too small or too weak to hibernate. Surveys have revealed their numbers have been halved to 750,000 in recent years because of unpredictable weather, road deaths and intensive farming practices. Source: Daily Mail UK, May 8, 2008 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.* *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

09-05-2008, 08:59 AM	#2 (permalink)
n_o_r_i_k_o band majorette Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 6,536 iTrader: (0) My Mood: Gender: Zodiac Sign: Country: Location: Hougang SGC$: 944.93 Bank: 5,603.05 Total SGC$: 6,547.98	Re: The tiny hedgehog family born a month early thanks to Britain's unpredictable weather so small~! so cute~! the weather is affecting the animals normal behavior.. dunno is good or bad in this case... lol.. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. -·=»‡«=·- sPaM pRiNcEss -·=»‡«=·-[Ҙυέ\|ўⁿ] *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

09-05-2008, 01:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
fathernature fathernature is a girl Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,163 iTrader: (0) My Mood: Gender: Zodiac Sign: Country: Location: tampines SGC$: 363.55 Bank: 3,060.19 Total SGC$: 3,423.74	Re: The tiny hedgehog family born a month early thanks to Britain's unpredictable weather wo yao wo yao Fathernature is a lady

09-05-2008, 03:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
mayocat mayo the sauce Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 2,389 iTrader: (0) My Mood: Gender: Zodiac Sign: Country: Location: somewhere SGC$: 57.10 Bank: 2,128.40 Total SGC$: 2,185.50	Re: The tiny hedgehog family born a month early thanks to Britain's unpredictable weather wah so tiny find me a rainbow

09-05-2008, 10:22 PM	#5 (permalink)
Huaikong Thanatos Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 3,407 iTrader: (0) My Mood: Gender: Zodiac Sign: Country: Location: Toa Payoh SGC$: 3.49 Bank: 3,836.00 Total SGC$: 3,839.49	Re: The tiny hedgehog family born a month early thanks to Britain's unpredictable weather kaoz so small only.....

10-05-2008, 10:55 AM	#6 (permalink)
n_o_r_i_k_o band majorette Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 6,536 iTrader: (0) My Mood: Gender: Zodiac Sign: Country: Location: Hougang SGC$: 944.93 Bank: 5,603.05 Total SGC$: 6,547.98	Re: The tiny hedgehog family born a month early thanks to Britain's unpredictable weather they look old~~ XD To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. -·=»‡«=·- sPaM pRiNcEss -·=»‡«=·-[Ҙυέ\|ўⁿ] *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-05-2008, 11:02 AM	#7 (permalink)
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10-05-2008, 11:11 AM	#10 (permalink)
bennylum79 ベニーの英雄には言う私は... Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 524 iTrader: (0) My Mood: Gender: Zodiac Sign: Country: Location: Geylang Bahru SGC$: 3.60 Bank: 287.17 Total SGC$: 290.77	Re: The tiny hedgehog family born a month early thanks to Britain's unpredictable weather Wow "baby sonic the hedgehog" ! So cute ! Spiky like my hair.... -____- To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. 500 Posts on 14-05-2008 Last edited by bennylum79 : 10-05-2008 at 11:12 AM.

10-05-2008, 11:28 AM	#11 (permalink)
uyen 소원 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 13,529 iTrader: (0) My Mood: Gender: Zodiac Sign: Country: Location: Singapore SGC$: 8,982.62 Bank: 1,635.57 Total SGC$: 10,618.19	Re: The tiny hedgehog family born a month early thanks to Britain's unpredictable weather very cute,im glad they are in safe hands now. 人情味不਷