The effect of sex on home range in an urban population of European hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus at the southern edge of its distribution

Abstract

As the transformation of natural habitats into urban environments increases, some species, such as hedgehogs, are able to adapt and thrive. Six hedgehogs, three males and three females, were tagged with radio–transmitters and tracked for three nights in the University of Alicante campus to study the effect of sex on their home range size, distance travelled per night, and nocturnal activity pattern. Time invested in several activities was also analyzed. Males showed larger home ranges than females (mean ± SD) (♂: 27.7 ha ± 19.2; ♀: 5.5 ha ± 3.4) and travelled longer distances per night (mean ♂: 1077 m ± 251.18; ♀: 504 m ± 156.37). The rhythm of nocturnal activity showed a bimodal pattern but differed between sexes. Males tended to be on the move significantly more often than females (♂: 38.7 %; ♀: 24.8 %) while females foraged more often than males (♂: 1.4 %; ♀: 9.2 %).