Habitat loss explained: The biggest threat to wildlife

Habitat loss is one of the most urgent and widespread threats facing wildlife today. It is a leading cause of species decline and extinction, affecting animals and plants in every ecosystem on Earth. For hedgehogs and tenrecs, two groups of small, insect-eating mammals that live in very different parts of the world, the destruction of their natural environments can be devastating.

What Is Habitat Loss?

A habitat is the natural environment where a species lives, feeds, breeds, and seeks shelter. Habitat loss occurs when that environment is destroyed, degraded, or fragmented to the point where it can no longer support the species that depend on it.

For wildlife, habitat isn’t just a physical location, it is a combination of food sources, nesting sites, cover from predators, and the right climate and seasonal conditions. When these elements are altered or removed, survival becomes much harder.

The Main Causes of Habitat Loss

Urbanisation and Infrastructure Development
Expanding towns, cities, and road networks often replace or fragment wildlife habitats.

For hedgehogs in Europe, suburban gardens and green corridors are increasingly replaced by concrete and fencing, cutting them off from food and shelter.

For tenrecs in Madagascar, roads and settlements may break up forest areas, isolating populations.

Agricultural Expansion
Forests, grasslands, and wetlands are cleared to grow crops or raise livestock.

In agricultural landscapes, hedgehogs may lose hedgerows and wildflower meadows, key habitats for insects and nesting.

In Madagascar, slash-and-burn farming (known locally as tavy) is a major driver of forest loss, pushing many tenrec species into shrinking fragments of woodland.

Logging and Deforestation
Both legal and illegal logging remove trees that form essential parts of many species’ habitats. In Madagascar, deforestation for timber and charcoal production has destroyed large areas of primary forest where forest-dwelling tenrecs live.

Mining and Resource Extraction
Extractive industries can cause large-scale habitat destruction, soil erosion, and water pollution, making entire areas unsuitable for wildlife.

Climate Change
Shifts in temperature, rainfall, and seasonal cycles alter habitats over time. Areas that once provided reliable food and shelter may become less suitable, forcing wildlife to move or adapt. This is particularly dangerous for species with small ranges, such as many tenrecs.

Types of Habitat Loss

• Destruction: The complete removal of a habitat, such as clearing a woodland to build a housing development.
• Degradation: The habitat remains but is damaged, for example through pollution, pesticide use, or the spread of invasive plants.
• Fragmentation: Large habitats are split into smaller, isolated patches, which may not be large enough to support viable populations.

For hedgehogs, habitat fragmentation often means they must cross dangerous roads to reach new foraging areas. For tenrecs, fragmentation can isolate groups in small forest patches, limiting genetic diversity.

Consequences for Wildlife

Loss of Food Sources
When habitats are destroyed or degraded, the insects, plants, and other resources animals depend on often disappear. For insectivores like hedgehogs and many tenrecs, reduced insect populations mean less food to sustain them.

Increased Mortality
Fragmented landscapes force animals to travel farther, often across dangerous terrain such as roads or open fields, increasing their risk of predation or accidents.

Reduced Breeding Success
Without safe nesting areas, many species struggle to raise young successfully. Hedgehogs need undisturbed nesting spots for their summer nests and winter hibernation. Tenrecs often rely on specific microhabitats for breeding and raising their litters.

Decline in Population Health
Smaller, isolated populations can suffer from reduced genetic diversity, making them less able to adapt to disease, parasites, or environmental changes.

Why Habitat Loss Hits Hedgehogs and Tenrecs So Hard

Hedgehogs and tenrecs are both small mammals with relatively limited ranges. While some species can adapt to human-altered landscapes, they still need safe routes to food and shelter.

In Europe, hedgehogs can survive in urban and rural areas if green spaces are connected, but sealed-off gardens and overmanaged landscapes create barriers.

In Madagascar, many tenrecs are forest specialists. Once their habitat is gone, they have few alternative places to live.

Because both groups have species that rely on specific conditions, they are highly vulnerable to rapid environmental change.

Addressing Habitat Loss

Local Actions

• Create and connect wildlife-friendly gardens, parks, and green corridors.
• Avoid the excessive use of pesticides and herbicides that degrade habitats.

Regional and National Actions

• Protect and restore natural habitats through legislation and land management.
• Implement wildlife crossings and safe passages to reduce fragmentation.

Global Actions

• Support international agreements aimed at reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable land use.
• Invest in conservation programs that protect both species and the habitats they depend on.

In Summary

Habitat loss is more than just a change in scenery for wildlife, it’s the removal of everything they need to survive. For hedgehogs in Europe and tenrecs in Madagascar, losing access to safe, connected, and resource-rich habitats is one of the biggest challenges they face. Protecting and restoring these spaces is essential, not only for their survival, but for the health of entire ecosystems.