▁been ▁heavily ▁modified ▁by ▁man . ▁The ▁range ▁includes ▁wood land , ▁grass lands ▁such ▁as ▁me adows ▁and ▁past ure , ▁a rable ▁land , ▁orch ards ▁and ▁v ine y ards ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁within ▁the ▁matrix ▁of ▁habitat ▁types ▁found ▁in ▁human ▁settlement s . ▁It ▁pre fers ▁low lands ▁and ▁hills ▁up ▁to ▁ 4 0 0 – 6 0 0 m , ▁but ▁is ▁also ▁locally ▁present ▁on ▁mountains , ▁exception ally ▁up ▁to ▁an ▁alt itude ▁of ▁ 1 5 0 0 - 2 0 0 0 m ▁( e . g . ▁Al ps ▁and ▁Py ren ees ). ▁Out side ▁cultiv ated ▁land ▁it ▁pre fers ▁marg inal ▁zones ▁of ▁for ests , ▁particularly ▁ec ot onal ▁grass ▁and ▁scr ub ▁veget ation . ▁ ▁H edge h ogs ▁are ▁most ▁abund ant ▁within ▁the ▁gard ens , ▁par ks ▁and ▁amen ity ▁land ▁close ▁to ▁or ▁within ▁human ▁settlement s . ▁They ▁are ▁generally ▁scar ce ▁in ▁areas ▁of ▁con ifer ous ▁wood land , ▁mar sh es ▁and ▁mo or land , ▁probably ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁suitable ▁sites ▁and ▁materials ▁for ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁winter ▁n ests ▁( or ▁hi bern ac ula ), ▁which ▁have ▁specific ▁requirements . ▁ ▁Prote ction ▁Gener ally , ▁the ▁h edge h og ▁is ▁widely ▁distributed ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁good ▁numbers ▁where ▁people ▁are ▁toler ant ▁of ▁their ▁residence ▁in ▁gard ens . ▁To ▁date , ▁the ▁IU CN ▁class ifies ▁the