Light hedgehog with pink nose?
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Just came across a new hedgehog in my garden and it was quite light with a pink nose whereas the other ones have dark faces and black noses.
Am I lucky enough to have a rare blonde? Or do they go lighter as they get older? Would their nose turn pink?
Hi Melamberx
That is an interesting looking hedgehog! I don’t think they do get lighter when they get older. One or two hedgehogs which visit here have pale spines, but they have dark noses as normal. One of the hogs which returned from overwintering had pink patches on her nose, but not completely pink like the one in your photo and her spines aren’t as pale.
It looks to me like you might have one of the blonde ones, although in the book I have it describes them as white or yellowish – I have never seen one, so not sure. It is certainly quite different from anything I have seen here. Will be interested to hear what anyone else thinks.
Have just looked in the book – Hedgehogs by Pat Morris. and it says ‘True albinos are sometimes seen among mainland hedgehogs. These have no dark colouration anywhere, not even a black nose, and their eyes are characteristically pale pink. Probably fewer than one in 10,000 hedgehogs deviates so markedly from the normal colouration’.
It says the ‘leucistic’ (blonde) ones have brown hairs and dark feet and black eyes. I am wondering whether it might be an albino which is probably even rarer.
I think you are extra lucky anyway having such an unusual hog visiting.
It was difficult to see its eyes, I thought at first it might not have any, which wouldn’t make sense, but they seemed a lot smaller than a standard hedgehogs eyes and not dark. I don’t think they were pink but possibly grey.
Should I be letting anyone know that I’ve seen this blonde in my garden? I’m in Lincolnshire if anyone knows or any local hedgehog people who do local recordings of sightings.
Hi again
It certainly is a bit of a puzzle. Because it’s spines don’t look as it they are as pale as I would have thought an albino’s would be? But that doesn’t sound at all like normal hedgehog eyes. But, in the photo it looks as if it has got it’s front spines up and it’s face slightly shortened, like they often do when another one is close, which might have made the eyes look smaller. What about the feet – are they dark, or pale as well?
If I were you, I would try contacting BHPS tomorrow and see if they can throw any light on it. I would be very interested to find out what they say.
Ok I will contact them tomorrow and keep you posted on what they say.
Thank you for your replies.
I’m very happy, all hedgehogs are special to me but this one will be looked after as much as possible.
I have emailed BHPS and attached a few of my photos and my contact details should they wish to talk to me.
Hopefully I’ll hear from them.
I agree – all hogs are special. It feels like it is an extra responsibility, though, having one that is so different visiting. Good luck hope he/she does well.
Hi, I’m in Lincolnshire too (currently going for driest county in England award!) not sure where you are in Lincolnshire but this lady may have some helpful advice?
She may have come across one before or know where to get advice from.
That is soooo cute, you are very lucky to have such an unusual hedgehog 🙂 I think it’s probably an albino if its eyes are pink otherwise its probably a blondie.
I want one in my garden now!!
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