Table 1. Variables considered in the analysis of hedgehog nest box use within gardens.
Source: Q = the variable was derived from the questionnaire survey; LC = data were quantified using a UK land class dataset (Morton et al., 2020).
| Theme | Variable | Description | Variable type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nest box use | SUMMERDAY BREEDING WINTERDAY HIBERNATION |
How long, in months, the respondent believed that the nest box had been used for summer day nesting (March–October), breeding, winter day nesting (November–February) or hibernation | Converted to binary variable for analysis: (0) Box had not been used (1) Box had been used |
Q |
| Time installed | MONTHS INSTALLED | The number of months the nest box had been installed in the respondent’s garden | Continuous | Q |
| Nest box design | TYPE | Whether the nest box was homemade or purchased | (0) Purchased (1) Homemade |
Q |
| MATERIAL | The primary material the nest box was constructed with | (0) Timber (1) Plywood/plyboard (2) Brushwood (3) Plastic (4) Other (including wicker, woodcrete and brick) |
Q | |
| HEIGHT | Nest box height (cm) | Continuous | Q | |
| WIDTH | Nest box width (cm) | Continuous | Q | |
| DEPTH | Nest box depth (cm) (front to back) | Continuous | Q | |
| CAPACITY | Maximum capacity (cm3) of the nest box (Height * Width * Depth) | Continuous | Q | |
| BASE | Whether the nest box had an integral base | (0) No base (1) Base |
Q | |
| TUNNEL | Whether the nest box had an external tunnel entrance | (0) No tunnel entrance (1) Tunnel entrance |
Q | |
| PARTITION | Whether the nest box had an internal tunnel or partition | (0) No internal partition (1) Internal partition |
Q | |
| VENT | Whether the nest box had ventilation holes | (0) No vent (1) Vent |
Q | |
| LINING | Whether the nest box had a waterproof lining | (0) Nest box is unlined (1) Nest box is lined |
Q | |
| Nest box positioning | FRONT OR BACK | Whether the nest box was positioned in a front or back garden | (0) Front garden (1) Back garden |
Q |
| HARD STANDING | Whether the nest box was located on hardstanding (i.e., patio, paved or decked areas) | (0) Not on hardstanding (1) On hardstanding |
Q | |
| SHELTERED | Whether the nest box was under shelter (e.g., shrubbery) |
(0) Not in sheltered location (1) In a sheltered location |
Q | |
| DISTANCE BUILDING | Whether the nest box was located <5 m from a building |
(0) ≥5 m from a building (1) <5 m from a building |
Q | |
| FACING | Whether the nest box entrance was facing into the open or elsewhere |
(0) Facing a wall/fence (1) Parallel to a wall/fence (2) Facing shrubs/planting (3) Facing the open (4) Other |
Q | |
| ORIENTATION | The direction that the nest box entrance was facing |
(0) North (1) East (2) South (3) West |
Q | |
| RAISED | Whether the nest box was raised off the ground or not |
(0) Not raised (1) Raised |
Q | |
| Garden characteristics | CONNECTED | The number of neighbouring back gardens which were accessible to hedgehogs from the respondent’s back garden |
Continuous | Q |
| FRONT BACK ACCESS | Whether a hedgehog could access the respondent’s back garden from their front garden |
(0) No front-to-back access (1) Front-to-back access |
Q | |
| OTHER NESTS | Whether the respondent had directly observed, or found evidence of, hedgehogs nesting outside of a nest box elsewhere in their back garden |
(0) No alternative nesting sites observed (1) Alternative nesting sites observed |
Q | |
| POND | Whether the garden contained a pond |
(0) No pond (1) Pond |
Q | |
| GOOD HAB | The proportion of “good” habitat present in the garden, including shrubs, a wild area, woodpile, compost heap, shed or decking with cavity beneath, lawn, vegetable patch and/or flowerbeds |
Continuous (proportion) | Q | |
| Resources for hedgehogs | BEDDING | Whether the respondent provided artificial (e.g., newspaper) or natural (e.g., leaves, hay) bedding within the nest box, or both |
(0) None provided (1) One type of bedding (2) Both types of bedding |
Q |
| HEDGEHOG FOOD | The location in which food was provided for hedgehogs in the garden |
(0) None provided (1) Scattered in varying locations (2) <0.5 m from nest box (3) 0.5–5 m from nest box (4) 5.1–10 m from nest box (5) >10 m from nest box |
Q | |
| Other animals | BIRD FOOD | Whether the respondent supplied food for birds in their garden |
(0) None provided (1) Food provided |
Q |
| BADGERFOX | Whether the respondent ever observed badgers or foxes in their garden (NB badger and fox sightings were merged due to the low number of positive sightings) |
(0) Not sighted (1) Sighted |
Q | |
| DOGS | Whether the respondent owned any pet dogs that were allowed access to the garden |
(0) No dogs (1) Dogs |
Q | |
| Habitats | URBAN500 ARABLE500 WOOD500 GRASS500 | The quantity (m2) of urban/arable/woodland/grassland habitats within 500 m of the respondent’s location (estimated from the central point of their postcode) |
Continuous | LC |
| URBANDIST ARABLEDIST WOODDIST GRASSDIST |
Distance (m) to the nearest urban/arable/woodland/grassland habitat patches from the respondent’s location (estimated from the central point of their postcode) |
Continuous | LC |