{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T18:43:45Z","timestamp":1773686625916,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,22]],"date-time":"2023-11-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1700611200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020)","award":["NORTE-06-3559-FSE-000204"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NORTE-06-3559-FSE-000204"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The modern lifestyle of humans is leading to a limited exposure to nature. While several wild species are adapting and thriving in anthropic environments, natural history knowledge is declining, and positive attitudes and behaviours towards nature are facing challenges. Because anticipating attitudes and engendering broad-based support for nature-related measures requires a good grasp of social contexts, we set out to evaluate the sociodemographic factors driving the perception, attitudes towards, and natural history knowledge of a keystone species\u2014the European hedgehog. In 2022, we conducted a questionnaire answered by 324 Portuguese adults. We found generally positive feelings and attitudes towards this species. A higher degree of academic qualifications and previous personal experience with the species seem to play a role in (i) people\u2019s perception about human impacts on hedgehogs and (ii) positive attitudes, especially during encounters where the animals were in difficulty. Despite this, the extent of natural history knowledge was low overall, and the study population was self-aware of this. Our insights underline the need to tailor educational programmes if we are to encourage people to re-establish meaningful connections with nature, to foster social support for biodiversity stewardship, and to implement the One Health approach in a way that resonates with distinct social groups.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani13233610","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,22]],"date-time":"2023-11-22T04:21:27Z","timestamp":1700626887000},"page":"3610","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Prickly Connections: Sociodemographic Factors Shaping Attitudes, Perception and Biological Knowledge about the European Hedgehog"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0666-3449","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u00c2ngela M.","family":"Ribeiro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CISAS\u2014Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, NUTRIR (Technological Center for AgriFood Sustainability), Monte de Prado, 4960-320 Melga\u00e7o, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Micaela","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun\u2019\u00c0lvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1405-2277","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuno V.","family":"Brito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CISAS\u2014Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, NUTRIR (Technological Center for AgriFood Sustainability), Monte de Prado, 4960-320 Melga\u00e7o, Portugal"},{"name":"1H-TOXRUN\u2014One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Polit\u00e9cnico e Universit\u00e1rio, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1236-3012","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teresa Letra","family":"Mateus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CISAS\u2014Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, NUTRIR (Technological Center for AgriFood Sustainability), Monte de Prado, 4960-320 Melga\u00e7o, Portugal"},{"name":"CECAV-Animal and Veterinary Research Centre, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"EpiUnit-Instituto de Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica da Universidade do Porto, Laborat\u00f3rio Para a Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o Integrativa e Translacional em Sa\u00fade Populacional (ITR), Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, n\u00ba 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Pyle, R.M. 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