From Leaves to Litter: Use of Anthropogenic Nesting Materials in Hibernation Nests of the European Hedgehog

Crawford, K ORCID: 0009-0009-6245-7640, Beardsworth, CE ORCID: 0000-0003-1308-1455, Hill, DL ORCID: 0000-0001-9085-6192, MacLeod, R ORCID: 0000-0001-5508-0202 and Nowack, J ORCID: 0009-0009-5954-8138 (2026) From Leaves to Litter: Use of Anthropogenic Nesting Materials in Hibernation Nests of the European Hedgehog. Ecology and Evolution, 16 (1). ISSN 2045-7758

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Abstract

Urbanization and human population growth have significantly increased the presence of anthropogenic materials in natural environments, prompting growing interest in how wildlife may be adapting to these changes. One such behavioral response is the incorporation of anthropogenic materials into animal nests, a phenomenon that has raised concerns due to its potential harmful effects, such as entanglement or ingestion. While this behavior has been documented widely in birds, it remains underreported in other taxa, partly due to the difficulty of locating nests. In this study, we describe multiple instances of anthropogenic materials (including plastic) being incorporated into the hibernation nests of European hedgehogs, Erinaceus europaeus. Four nests were dissected, of which two nests contained anthropogenic materials, including a plastic bag, foil and expanded polystyrene. These findings suggest that hedgehogs may opportunistically use available anthropogenic materials in nest construction, potentially as a response to urban environments. Our findings help broaden the understanding of mammalian responses to urbanization and emphasize the need to investigate whether the incorporation of these materials is likely to be harmful or adaptive to hedgehogs and for mammals generally.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	behavioral adaptation; climate change; hibernation nests; nesting behavior; plastic; urbanization; 41 Environmental Sciences; 31 Biological Sciences; 3103 Ecology; 0602 Ecology; 0603 Evolutionary Biology; 3103 Ecology; 3104 Evolutionary biology; 4102 Ecological applications
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences Q Science > QL Zoology
Divisions:	Biological and Environmental Sciences (from Sep 19)
Publisher:	Wiley
Date of acceptance:	16 December 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	15 January 2026
Date Deposited:	15 Jan 2026 15:09
Last Modified:	15 Jan 2026 15:09
DOI or ID number:	10.1002/ece3.72844
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27917

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