NEXT time you see a hedgehog splattered at the side of the road don't forget to tell a conservationist.

By using a new app to mark the location of dead animals they see, drivers and their passengers could help to save the nation's favourite animal from further decline.

Oxford-based ecologist Hugh Warwick, who has been studying hedgehogs for the past 20 years, is urging drivers to download the app to track the county's roadkill.

He said: "This is a superb idea and people in Oxfordshire should support it."

The free Mammals on Roads app has been created by wildlife charity People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES).

Its previous surveys have shown that hedgehog numbers have declined by a third in the past decade alone.

Now the new app could be used to help track their population and provide information about where their habitats need to be protected.

The PTES is urging people on day trips and summer holidays on journeys of 20 miles or more to record roadkill sightings of hedgehogs and other animals including foxes, badgers, deer and rabbits.

The app is linked to GPS with click options to show where roadkill has been spotted and what kind of animal has been killed.

Mr Warwick added: "People using the app will giving us robust evidence about the changing population of hedgehogs in the county, and the population of all mammals.

"Strangely there is a slight sense of pleasure when we see squashed hedgehogs at the roadside because it means there are hedgehogs in the environment.

"But they have not yet evolved the capacity to cross roads safely.

"This app could help to provide vital information for providing a conservation strategy for hedgehogs."

David Wembridge, surveys officer at PTES, said drivers' passengers could use the app for the survey, which runs until the end of next month.

He said: "We don't want drivers using the app when they are driving but passengers can click the app as soon as they see roadkill at the roadside and the more people in Oxfordshire taking part the better.

"No-one likes seeing roadkill, but recording it as part of a survey like Mammals on Roads tells us about wildlife more widely.

"Without the help of volunteers, it’s almost impossible to identify these sorts of changes nationally and to spot population trends.

"If you’re going on a road trip this summer, take part in the survey, keep an eye out for mammals and get involved in conservation."

The PTES has been running roadside surveys since 2001 and over half a million kilometres of road have been surveyed.

To take part you can download the free Mammals on Roads app from the App Store and Google Play. Alternatively, the survey can be completed via a printed survey pack.

Email mor@ptes.org or call 0207 498 4533 to request a pack.