Correlates of Local Variation in the Abundance of Hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus

Abstract

1. Principal environmental factors predicting local variations in hedgehog abundance were sought from surveys of 58 fields of grazing pasture at six sites of 12-15 km 2 in Oxfordshire, UK. Comparable surveys were additionally conducted on 31 mown grass playing fields in the same region. Complementary information on presence or absence of hedgehogs was obtained from a questionnaire survey of farmers. 2. Presence or absence of hedgehogs and their abundance in the pasture fields correlated with the magnitudes of five environmental variables. In a Principal Components Analysis, pasture fields in which hedgehogs were present were grouped together along a predator axis, characterized by indicators of badger activity and distance from town, and a resource axis, characterized by indices of earthworm availability