Intra- and interhabitat differences in hedgehog distribution and potential prey availability

dc.contributor.authorHaigh, Amy
dc.contributor.authorButler, Fidelma
dc.contributor.authorO'Riordan, Ruth M.
dc.contributor.funderThomas Crawford Hayes Trust, National University of Ireland Galway
dc.date.accessioned2016-04-28T14:24:17Z
dc.date.available2016-04-28T14:24:17Z
dc.date.issued2012-05-13
dc.date.updated2014-06-16T23:57:14Z
dc.description.abstractWith little previous research on the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus Linnaeus) in Ireland, 22 hedgehogs (16 females and six males) were tagged at a rural Irish site between June 2008 and November 2009. Transect, surveying surface invertebrates were carried out in the centre and hedgerow in arable and pasture lands distributed throughout the site. In both years, hedgehogs selected arable land and this coincided with a rise in invertebrate density. This and the fact that within the arable field hedgehogs concentrated their activity where there was a greater density of potential prey suggest that hedgehogs learn the spatial location of prospective food. Contrary to other research, in most of the hedgehogs’ home range, individuals consistently foraged in the centre of both pasture and arable lands. Potential prey was lower in fields where the hedgerow had no bramble understory, and this suggests that hedgerow with good ground cover acts as an important reserve for invertebrates. Badgers (Meles meles Linnaeus) were seen on 12 occasions within the hedgehogs’ home range and they did not appear to have a negative effect on the hedgehogs’ use of the site. It was concluded that the main factor affecting the hedgehogs’ distribution within each habitat was the availability and accessibility of potential prey.en
dc.description.sponsorshipThomas Crawford Hayes Trust, National University of Ireland Galway (PhD Scholarship)en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionPublished Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationHaigh, A., Butler, F. and O'Riordan, R. M. (2012) "Intra- and interhabitat differences in hedgehog distribution and potential prey availability", Mammalia, 76(3), pp. 261-268, doi: 10.1515/mammalia-2011-0110.en
dc.identifier.doi10.1515/mammalia-2011-0110
dc.identifier.endpage268en
dc.identifier.issn1864-1547
dc.identifier.issn0025-1461
dc.identifier.issued3en
dc.identifier.journaltitleMammaliaen
dc.identifier.startpage261en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/2491
dc.identifier.volume76en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherWalter de Gruyter GmbHen
dc.rights© Walter de Gruyter GmbH.en
dc.subjectErinaceus europaeusen
dc.subjectArableen
dc.subjectHedgerowen
dc.subjectPredator-prey interactionsen
dc.subjectSpatial learningen
dc.subjectSurface invertebratesen
dc.titleIntra- and interhabitat differences in hedgehog distribution and potential prey availabilityen
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)en
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