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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2025

Methods of Pairing and Pair Maintenance of New Zealand White Rabbits Oryctolagus Cuniculus Via Behavioral Ethogram, Monitoring, and Interventions
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Does Differential Habitat Selection Facilitate Coexistence Between Badgers and Hedgehogs?

Katie A Lee1, Antonio Uzal1, Louise K Gentle1

  • 1School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Science, Brackenhurst Campus Nottingham Trent University Southwell UK.

Ecology and Evolution
|January 28, 2025
PubMed
Summary

European hedgehogs avoid Eurasian badgers by using suboptimal habitats near buildings, not just through a landscape of fear. This spatial segregation, driven by differential habitat use, is key to understanding their coexistence.

Keywords:
Intraguild predation (IGP)Spatiotemporal niche partitioningmammalsoccupancy modellingrandom encounter model

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • Intraguild predation (IGP) relationships, where one species preys on and competes with another, complicate species distribution predictions.
  • Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) are known intraguild predators of European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), potentially causing population declines through predation and resource competition.
  • Previous research suggested spatial separation between badgers and hedgehogs, attributing it to a 'landscape of fear' in hedgehogs, but the role of habitat use was unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the factors influencing European hedgehog distribution, specifically examining the roles of food availability, habitat preferences, and the presence of Eurasian badgers.
  • To determine if spatial segregation between badgers and hedgehogs occurs at finer scales and is linked to differential habitat use.
  • To assess the temporal activity patterns of both species and their potential for niche partitioning.

Main Methods:

  • Density and occupancy of badgers and hedgehogs were estimated across 22 rural study sites in England and Wales.
  • Occupancy modeling was employed to analyze spatial segregation at the scale of individual camera traps.
  • Habitat use, invertebrate biomass, and temporal activity were compared between the two species.

Main Results:

  • Hedgehog density varied significantly with land use, while badger density did not.
  • Spatial segregation was observed at a finer scale, with hedgehogs utilizing areas near buildings and lower invertebrate biomass, unlike badgers.
  • Despite spatial segregation, no temporal separation in activity was detected between the species.
  • Hedgehog habitat use did not directly correlate with the presence of badgers, challenging a simple 'landscape of fear' explanation.

Conclusions:

  • Hedgehog spatial distribution is influenced by differential habitat use, with a tendency to occupy suboptimal areas near human settlements, potentially to avoid predation.
  • While consistent with a 'landscape of fear', the findings emphasize the importance of habitat selection and food availability in intraguild dynamics.
  • Further research is needed to explore alternative hypotheses for hedgehog urban habitat selection and understand niche partitioning that facilitates coexistence with badgers.