![]() O Raised ambient temperatures will passively increase the hedgehog body temperature and therefore increase metabolism and energy demand. O Lowered ambient temperatures require additional heat generation to prevent frostbite in the tissues. Metabolic energy demand during hibernation increases with either increase or decrease of ambient temperature. Hedgehog metabolism is greatly reduced during hibernation reaching a minimum at about 4-5☌ which is therefore described as the "optimum" hibernation temperature.During hibernation body temperature drops to close to environmental temperature and may be about 2-5☌. Normal temperature for unweaned hoglets is slightly lower than that of adults at about 31.5-34☌. Body temp decreases, normal body temperature for hedgehogs is about 35☌, peaking at 0300 hours and dropping to a minimum at 1500 hours.Males usually hibernate first as they have had more time after mating to build up fat reserves.ĭuring hibernation a number of physiological changes happen that keep the hedgehog in a state of torpor:. Use of fat reserves during hibernation leads to a significant reduction in hedgehog body weight over winter values from European studies reveal total weight loss in the order of 25-40%. To survive through hibernation, it is essential that hedgehogs develop sufficient white fat reserves to fuel many weeks and sufficient brown fat reserves for several periods of arousal. The white fat, which can account for 1/3 of body weight just before hibernation, provides the constant energy supply to fuel metabolism during hibernation while brown fat is most important for heat generation during arousals from hibernation. The brown fat is around the shoulders, chest, neck, under front legs, and white fat under the skin & around the stomach & intestines. ![]() Normal hibernation is affected by various environmental and hormonal cues, with cold and lack of food shown to be important triggers.īy the time the hedgehog is ready to hibernate 30% of the body weight will be fat, both brown & white. Thank you Brambles for sharing your blog post with us about Hedgehog hibernation. Monthly Gardening Subscription Expand submenu.
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