About us
Download the participant information sheet
Hogs On Film is a grass-roots organisation founded by Lea Grayston-Smith, a PhD student at Reading university. HOF began as a means of collecting data from gardens up and down the country, from people who love and cherish these illusive and fascinating creatures.
We noticed that there is a lack of published information on what really happens at garden feeding stations, despite the fact there appears to be a growing community of animal lovers who are helping to feed and sustain their local hedgehog population. Hogs on film aims to bridge this gap by collecting information from those who know their hedgehogs best, YOU!
By joining the project, you are becoming a citizen scientist!
Collecting data for the research community which can then be used to answer questions and find out what is really happening in our gardens after dark.
If you already have a garden feeding station where you film and feed your hedgehogs, we would love you to be a part of our project.
Taking part is easy:
- Film and feed your spiny friends as you normally do,
- Play back the footage you collect and record what you observe using our online survey.
- Upload your footage and the events that take place
This data will then help answer questions such as how many hedgehogs there are? …How often they return to the feeding station? …What are their interactions with fellow hedgehogs and other wildlife like? …How much food is being provided? …And do they share the food with each other? …or are they called HOGS for a reason?
HOF allows ordinary people to actively participate in an ongoing non-profit science-based research project from their very own back gardens, helping us to collect data and understand the behaviour of our beloved garden friends. So, if you feel you would like to take part, become a HOF citizen scientist!
Guidance on Feeding
In the past hedgehogs were often fed bread and milk, however we now know that like many humans, hedgehogs are lactose intolerant and eating dairy can result in an upset stomach. Please do not feed them this!
There are many different brands of hedgehog food on the market and choosing the right one can be daunting. We are currently conducting research with the aims of finding the best possible food and hope to be able to share this information with you soon! But for now, your local wildlife rescue centre should be able to give you some more guidance.
If you are new to hedgehog feeding and would like to set up your own feeding station, you can do this in a budget friendly, simple way by following the instructions found here: Feeding Hedgehogs
Remember to safely discard any uneaten food and to clean your dishes daily with warm soapy water to kill any bacteria!
Guidance on Filming
There are many ways to observe hedgehogs, but the best way is to ensure that you are causing the least disturbance possible.
This can be achieved by installing a motion triggered wildlife camera or by using a similar motion triggered home security camera.
When positioning a wildlife camera, try to find a sheltered position away from low hanging branches or foliage. Any motion will trigger the camera so careful positioning will help avoid recording the breeze through your trees! Position your camera so that it has a good view of your feeding station, think about the height of your visitors. By positioning your camera low you will be able to catch the movement patterns of most of our garden visitors.
Many participants first discovered hedgehogs were visiting, when they made their debut on their home surveillance system. There is now a wide range of home CCTV systems available on the market, many of which are reasonably priced and come with multiple small Bluetooth cameras which are motion activated. If you would like to get a close-up view of what is going on inside a feeding station, or small area of the garden which your hedgehogs frequent, then these can be an asset!
Whichever method you choose, always remember to observe not disturb. Please, never pick up a healthy hedgehog, and never disturb their natural behaviours!
If you don't yet have a camera, you can help fund Hogs on Film by purchasing a Naturespy camera through our affiliate link here.
Its not just hedgehogs who visit! If you have been visited by a “non-target species” we would like to hear from you! You are welcome to submit records regardless of which species it was that dined at your dinner table.
Have you found a Hedgehog in need of help?
Check out this comic for guidance
Support our cause
HOF is a non-profit community interest company. This means that any income we generate goes directly into the running of the project. This includes the website upkeep, and costs for outreach materials. We are a very small team and currently all costs are self-funded by the team! (we are in it for the love not the money!) If you would like to support our cause by making a one time or regular donation you can do so by PayPal or by BACs
PayPal:
hogsonfilm@gmail.com
BACS
Account name: Hogs on Film C.I.C.
Account number: 67376395-00
Sort code: 08-92-99
Publications
Hedgehogs in the UK have been studied by many well-known researchers. Scientific papers are not always an easy read, but are the best place to find peer reviewed, scientifically studied, published data which can be read freely online. Here are some papers you may find interesting… (Watch this space for our published findings!)
Yalden, D.W. (1976). The food of the hedgehog in England. Acta Theriologica, 21, pp.401-424. doi: https://doi.org/10.4098/at.arch.76-39
Morris, P.A. (1988). A study of home range and movements in the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). Journal of Zoology, 214(3), pp.433-449. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1988.tb03751.x
Baker, P.J. and Harris, S. (2007). Urban mammals: what does the future hold? An analysis of the factors affecting patterns of use of residential gardens in Great Britain. Mammal Review, 0(0), p.070611094052001-??? doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2907.2007.00102.x
Pettett, C.E., Moorhouse, T.P., Johnson, P.J. and Macdonald, D.W. (2017). Factors affecting hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) attraction to rural villages in arable landscapes. European Journal of Wildlife Research, [online] 63(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-017-1113-6
Gazzard, A., Yarnell, R.W. and Baker, P.J. (2022). Fine-scale habitat selection of a small mammalian urban adapter: the West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). Mammalian Biology. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00251-5
Millicent Scott, D., Fowler, R., Sanglas, A., Tolhurst, B, A. (2023). Garden Scraps: Agonistic Interactions between Hedgehogs and Sympatric Mammals in Urban Gardens. Animals. 13, 590. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040590
Useful links
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) The British Hedgehog Preservation Society
The People's Trust for Endangered Species People's Trust for Endangered Species | Bringing the wild back to life
The Wildlife Trusts (UK) Home | The Wildlife Trusts