What are they up to?

[ann-the-nan]

Last night OH called me to the kitchen as there was a small hedgehog on the lawn. A few seconds later a bigger hog came along and made straight for the other one. They looked each other squarely eye to eye and seemed to have noses close. The bigger one moved forward a bit then the little one went backward. They did this circling our tiny flower bed on the lawn 3 or 4 times before progressing toward the gate at the side of the house.
In spite of may years of hog watching, neither of us had ever seen this behaviour before. Is this some sort of tiggywinkle courtship, or something completely different?

[Snadger]

I know how they mate...........CAREFULLY!

[peanut]

Yep, that's Hedgehogs getting in the mood for lurve! It can go on for days!!

[ann-the-nan]

What are they up to?

Thanks for that. I'll keep an eye open for them. One was on the lawn around 4 a.m. this morning. They must be keen.

[Waffler]

I just have one word for you: voyeur!

[Nicos]

we used to have a male snuffling and grunting around a smaller female in our last house...noisy little things eh??

This....
Hedgehogs (Erinaceus Europaeus)
says gestation is 4 weeks- the poor little nippers will be born mid Sept...seems rather late doesn't it..lets hope for an Indian summer if that's the case so they can put on enough weight to survive hibernation

Can you try and get a piccies tonight???

[rana]

In a previous summer I watched this relentless courtship between hedgehogs go on over a number of evenings on my patio. It all ceased after the final act which considering its brevity barely seemed worth the effort.

[catbasket]

I just have one word for you: voyeur!

On that theme, another word: pics!

[Mochamoo]

Ohhh build a little hedgehog house for the new family I built my hedgehogs a house and they ignored it - Ive got toads in the hedgehog house.