[Martin Brown]

I wonder if anyone can shed some light on the malaises that afflict
young hedgehogs?

A young one has apparently expired in the middle of an open area of
concrete near a path I walk regularly. Although it looks superficially
undamaged there are some strange organic growths on it about 5mm
diameter translucent grey and longer than the spines poking out here
and there. Leeches or some other nasty parasites maybe?

The poor thing seemed determined to attract the attention of carrion
crows by sitting right out in the open during daytime. I have never
seen anything like this behaviour before. Any ideas what might have
been wrong with it?

I tried a Google search but mostly it found discontinued URLs and/or
vendors of "pet" hedgehogs.

Thanks for any enlightenment.

Regards,
Martin Brown

[Nick Maclaren]

In article .com,
"Martin Brown" writes:
| I wonder if anyone can shed some light on the malaises that afflict
| young hedgehogs?
|
| A young one has apparently expired in the middle of an open area of
| concrete near a path I walk regularly. Although it looks superficially
| undamaged there are some strange organic growths on it about 5mm
| diameter translucent grey and longer than the spines poking out here
| and there. Leeches or some other nasty parasites maybe?

More likely fungi or slime moulds, and quite possibly nothing to do
with its demise.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

[Uncle Marvo]

In reply to Martin Brown ) who wrote this
in , I, Marvo, say :

I wonder if anyone can shed some light on the malaises that afflict
young hedgehogs?

A young one has apparently expired in the middle of an open area of
concrete near a path I walk regularly. Although it looks superficially
undamaged there are some strange organic growths on it about 5mm
diameter translucent grey and longer than the spines poking out here
and there. Leeches or some other nasty parasites maybe?

Sounds like it was stepped on by someone with those golf shoes with
removable spikes

:-)

[BAC]

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
oups.com...
I wonder if anyone can shed some light on the malaises that afflict
young hedgehogs?

A young one has apparently expired in the middle of an open area of
concrete near a path I walk regularly. Although it looks superficially
undamaged there are some strange organic growths on it about 5mm
diameter translucent grey and longer than the spines poking out here
and there. Leeches or some other nasty parasites maybe?

The poor thing seemed determined to attract the attention of carrion
crows by sitting right out in the open during daytime. I have never
seen anything like this behaviour before. Any ideas what might have
been wrong with it?

I tried a Google search but mostly it found discontinued URLs and/or
vendors of "pet" hedgehogs.


Try
http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/

as a starting point.

[K]

Martin Brown writes
I wonder if anyone can shed some light on the malaises that afflict
young hedgehogs?

A young one has apparently expired in the middle of an open area of
concrete near a path I walk regularly. Although it looks superficially
undamaged there are some strange organic growths on it about 5mm
diameter translucent grey and longer than the spines poking out here
and there. Leeches or some other nasty parasites maybe?

Those sound like ticks in colour, if it wasn't for the length (ticks
resemble sweetcorn grains in size and shape). Leeches tend to be various
browns and blacks and dark greens.

The poor thing seemed determined to attract the attention of carrion
crows by sitting right out in the open during daytime. I have never
seen anything like this behaviour before. Any ideas what might have
been wrong with it?

Sitting out in daylight is sign of sickness in hedgehogs, it's abnormal
behaviour. Often if you take one to a 'hedgehog hospital' you find it
has expired a few days later with respiratory disease.


--
Kay

[cineman]

Look at this site they may be able to answer your questions

http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/

regards
Cineman

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
oups.com...
I wonder if anyone can shed some light on the malaises that afflict
young hedgehogs?

A young one has apparently expired in the middle of an open area of
concrete near a path I walk regularly. Although it looks superficially
undamaged there are some strange organic growths on it about 5mm
diameter translucent grey and longer than the spines poking out here
and there. Leeches or some other nasty parasites maybe?

The poor thing seemed determined to attract the attention of carrion
crows by sitting right out in the open during daytime. I have never
seen anything like this behaviour before. Any ideas what might have
been wrong with it?

I tried a Google search but mostly it found discontinued URLs and/or
vendors of "pet" hedgehogs.

Thanks for any enlightenment.

Regards,
Martin Brown

[MadCow]

In message , K
writes
Martin Brown writes
I wonder if anyone can shed some light on the malaises that afflict
young hedgehogs?

A young one has apparently expired in the middle of an open area of
concrete near a path I walk regularly. Although it looks superficially
undamaged there are some strange organic growths on it about 5mm
diameter translucent grey and longer than the spines poking out here
and there. Leeches or some other nasty parasites maybe?

Those sound like ticks in colour, if it wasn't for the length (ticks
resemble sweetcorn grains in size and shape). Leeches tend to be
various browns and blacks and dark greens.

Yes, they sound like ticks. They get bigger as they fill up with blood,
5mm is about the size of a full one. Hedgehogs normally have lots of
them in various sizes depending how long they've been feeding. It's
unlikely they killed it, but an unhealthy animal often has more than its
fair share of parasites.


Sitting out in daylight is sign of sickness in hedgehogs, it's abnormal
behaviour. Often if you take one to a 'hedgehog hospital' you find it
has expired a few days later with respiratory disease.

Are those hedgehogs unfit to eat then?

--
Sue ];(

[Martin Brown]

MadCow wrote:
In message , K
writes
Martin Brown writes

A young one has apparently expired in the middle of an open area of
concrete near a path I walk regularly. Although it looks superficially
undamaged there are some strange organic growths on it about 5mm
diameter translucent grey and longer than the spines poking out here
and there. Leeches or some other nasty parasites maybe?

Those sound like ticks in colour, if it wasn't for the length (ticks
resemble sweetcorn grains in size and shape). Leeches tend to be
various browns and blacks and dark greens.

Yes, they sound like ticks. They get bigger as they fill up with blood,
5mm is about the size of a full one. Hedgehogs normally have lots of
them in various sizes depending how long they've been feeding. It's
unlikely they killed it, but an unhealthy animal often has more than its
fair share of parasites.

Yuck. I had expected ticks to be smaller, round and much darker in
colour.

Biggest one was nearly 1cm across. But on closer inspection it seems
they were ticks, but bigger by far than any that I have seen before
close up. I was surprised that they looked light grey and elongated
despite presumably being full of blood.

Sitting out in daylight is sign of sickness in hedgehogs, it's abnormal
behaviour. Often if you take one to a 'hedgehog hospital' you find it
has expired a few days later with respiratory disease.

I reckon "respiratory failure" is what they say when they don't really
know.
Did it die because it stopped breathing or stop breathing because it
died...

Thanks all for the various info. BritishHedgehogs.org.uk seemed to have
the most relevant practical advice - it was the first one I saw to
mention ticks being grey.

Regards,
Martin Brown

[K]

Martin Brown writes


Yuck. I had expected ticks to be smaller, round and much darker in
colour.

Unless you know what they are, they give a good impression of being a
bit of the body they're attached to.

Biggest one was nearly 1cm across. But on closer inspection it seems
they were ticks, but bigger by far than any that I have seen before
close up. I was surprised that they looked light grey and elongated
despite presumably being full of blood.

They're quite tough, but with a good blood-carrying capacity, so they
need to be flexible (stretchy), so my guess is that they're made of
quite thick skin, so you wouldn't see the blood through it.

Sitting out in daylight is sign of sickness in hedgehogs, it's abnormal
behaviour. Often if you take one to a 'hedgehog hospital' you find it
has expired a few days later with respiratory disease.

I reckon "respiratory failure" is what they say when they don't really
know.
Did it die because it stopped breathing or stop breathing because it
died...

They wheeze for a couple of days before dying, apparently.

There's a dramatic exodus of fleas when the hedgehog actually dies -
presumably just after as it begins to cool.
--
Kay

[Sacha[_1_]]

On 8/9/06 11:07, in article , "K"
wrote:

Martin Brown writes
snip

Biggest one was nearly 1cm across. But on closer inspection it seems
they were ticks, but bigger by far than any that I have seen before
close up. I was surprised that they looked light grey and elongated
despite presumably being full of blood.

They're quite tough, but with a good blood-carrying capacity, so they
need to be flexible (stretchy), so my guess is that they're made of
quite thick skin, so you wouldn't see the blood through it.

One way of removing them is to use a cotton bud dipped in meths. Ray has
treated a couple of birds this way recently with great success. The only
trouble is that the birds keep well away from us for a while afterwards!
snip

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/