Blonde hedgehog features on special edition stamps

A set of stamps depicting the blonde hedgehog are set to be released next week, Guernsey Post has said.

The blonde hedgehog population, which is found on Alderney, is believed to have originated from several escaped pets introduced to the island in the late 1950s.

Guernsey Post said it was estimated about 60% of the hedgehogs on Alderney had the blonde gene.

Bridget Yabsley, head of the philatelic bureau at Guernsey Post, said she was "delighted to depict the blonde hedgehog" on the latest stamps.

She said: "As over half of Alderney's hedgehogs are blonde they are a common sight on the island, where they can be found foraging around the island after sunset from spring to autumn."

Guernsey Post said: "The introduction of a small number of brown hedgehogs must have contained some, which had the rare leucistic (blonde) gene.

"Through in-breeding over the course of around 20 years from their release, the island started to see occasional hedgehogs with light coloured spines appearing."

It added there could be as many as 400 to 600 blonde hedgehogs on the island.

The stamps will be issued on 23 April but can be ordered in advance online or over the phone, Guernsey Post said.

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