Look out for Hedgehogs! | Northamptonshire Biodiversity Records Centre

Hedgehog image with NBRC and Wildlife Trust BCN logos

You can help Northamptonshire’s hedgehogs with our new survey.

These charismatic mammals are a much-loved species of our country, but since the millennium, we have lost 30% of them.

By mapping hedgehog sightings from the public, conservationists can gain a better understanding of the species’ population and distribution and can plan how to help them.

The causes of hedgehog decline are complex and can vary between rural and urban locations.

In rural areas, these causes can include use of pesticides, larger field sizes, hedgerow management and ploughing of pastures.

In urban areas, theses causes can include loss of gardens, reduced connectivity between gardens, busy roads and the use of pesticides.

Read the State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2022 report, published by People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) to find out more.

For more information about hedgehogs and how you can help them, visit the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire website.

How to submit sightings of hedgehogs

Hedgehog sightings can be submitted via the Northamptonshire Biological Records Centre (NBRC) using the form below.

Before submitting your records, please read the NBRC Privacy Policy and NBRC's record submission Terms and Conditions.

If this is your first record submission, please read our quick guide to Using the NBRC Website to Submit Biological Records.

If you would like to submit more than one sighting or plan to submit sightings on a regular basis, please create an account before you submit your sightings. You will then be able to view, edit and download all your submitted records.

What to do if you find a sick or injured hedgehog

Hedgehogs can sometimes suffer from sickness or injury, and need to be cared for by specialist wildlife rescuers. If you find a sick or injured hedgehog, you should phone the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890 801 for advice.

You can still submit sightings of sick, injured and dead hedgehogs to the NBRC, please note this in the comments section of the sighting record.

Personal details

First name:

Please provide your first name

Last name:

Please provide your surname

Email:

Please provide your email address. This will only be used to contact you if we require further information to verify the record.

Date Seen:

Enter the date in dd/mm/yyyy format or select the date of the record.

You are submitting a record of Erinaceus europaeus

Recorder Name:

Enter the recorder's name, if different

Photos:

Quantity:

Provide an indication of the abundance

Certainty:

How certain of this identification are you?

Sex:

Please indicate the sex of the organism, if recorded.

Stage:

Please indicate the life stage of the organism, if recorded.

Identified By:

If anyone helped with the identification please enter their name here

Comments:

Please add any additional information you think may be of interest

Sensitivity

Is the record sensitive?

Blur record to:

This is the precision that the record will be shown at for public viewing

Location:

Please provide the location name. This could be the name of a village, town, parish, nature reserve, wood etc. Do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Location details:

Further details about where the sighting was within the main location, e.g. a road name, footpath, a compartment of a wood, or area of a nature reserve.

Enter a grid reference:

Or search for a place on the map:

Or simply click on your rough position on the map.