Hedgehog

It is Hedgehog. From the name, you must think that they are some breed of dog. But, they are not. It is a small mammal. It is closely related to the mongoose. Read this blog to learn more about them.

Introduction

• They come in a variety of colors, found in bands along their quills, ranging from white to light brown to black.
• They have coarse hair all over their face, neck, and belly. Some have a mask across their eyes that is either dark brown or black.
• These intriguing creatures have large, five-toed feet and tiny, strong legs.

Scientific Name

Erinaceinae

Physical Characteristic

Size and Weight 

• A four-toed hedgehog is between 6 and 11 inches long and weighs 18 to 25 ounces when it is fully mature.

Color

• The spines have a general appearance of rust and cream color.
• The cheek patches have a rich, golden-brown color, the nose is black, and the face is covered in a mask. Creamy spines with chocolate-brown bands.
• The eye patches range in color from rich golden-brown to brown to near-black, while the mask is medium brown.

Behavior 

They are noisy creatures that snuffle noisily as they go through the bushes. Despite having weak vision, they have great hearing, touch, and smell senses. It will lift their spines and curl up into a tight ball when in danger.

Sleeping Behavior 

• They are nocturnal.

Feeding Behavior  

• They typically forage while making quick, darting motions to get prey.
• However, hogs have evolved several unique strategies for coping with normally challenging prey items.

Mating Behavior

• They attempt to woo females in lengthy encounters that involve much circling and rhythmic snorting and puffing.
• Rival males are drawn to the situation by the disturbance, and courting can be interrupted when they confront intruders and square off against one another. Headbutting and chases are frequent outcomes.
• Rival males are drawn to the situation by the disturbance, and courting can be interrupted when they confront intruders and square off against one another. Headbutting and chases are frequent outcomes.

Diet & Food 

• They are insectivores, which means that insects make up the majority of their food.
• They consume some vegetable stuff as well, although they lack a cecum in their digestive system, which would aid in the digestion of plant material. Their diet should contain low-fat protein.
• A high-quality (meat-based) diet, whether one for cats or hedgehogs, is generally advised.
• Check the size of the kibble to make sure it is small because dog kibble tends to be huge in size and challenging for Hedgehogs to eat. Some people give their pets dry kibble and a tiny bit of premium wet food.

Habitat

• They inhabit a wide range across a variety of climates and terrains in East Africa, West Africa and Central Africa.
• They must have dry shelters on well-drained soil and a good supply of ground-dwelling insects and other invertebrates.  

Care

They are so small creatures, they need care. According to a study, when provided a lot of care they can live approximately 6 years or more.

Nail Trimming And Bathing 

• They should be able to care for themselves other than possibly needing assistance with nail trimming.
• Except in extreme cases, you shouldn’t bathe your hedgie.

Housing And Environment

• It requires room to move around comfortably in the cage.
• Two to three feet of floor space should be the absolute minimum. Because they are skilled climbers, walls must be high enough to bar them from escaping.
• A glass aquarium or cage with smooth edges is a practical choice for many owners.

Health

• The majority of Hedgehog health difficulties are brought on by poor diet, digestive, dental, or obesity-related problems.
• A vital component of keeping your pet happy and healthy is scheduling routine appointments with the vet.

Reproduction

• Between April and September, they reproduce. Hedgehog gestation periods typically span 35 days, however, they can be anywhere from 3-42 days.
• To be safe, wait until more than a week after the 42-day mark before trying to mate with your female again if you discover that she hasn’t given birth. 

Baby Hedgehog

• Their babies are known as hoglets.
• The mother hedgehog will spend a total of 4-6 weeks with her family of hoglets in one nest.
• The newborn hoglets often start to grow independent at around 6 weeks and will frequently follow the mother outside the nest as she begins to forage.

Hedgehog As Pet

• According to Millermeade Farms, a hedgehog breeder, owning a hedgehog is illegal in Alabama, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, and is strictly forbidden in Arizona, New Jersey, and Oregon.
• Its ownership is prohibited in New York City and Washington.

European Hedgehog

• Europaeus was introduced in 1974 to the Scottish Island of the list and in the late 19th Century to New Zealand, where it is considered an invasive pest species.
• European Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures with hearing and smell as their primary senses. 

Price Of Hedgehog

• It can be purchased for anywhere from $100 to $300 on average.
• The price will vary according to the hedgehog’s age, friendliness level, and coloring.
• Salt and pepper or cinnamon hedgehogs will cost the least, and “pinto” hedgies will be in the middle of the price range.

Population

• There is yet no reliable method for estimating hedgehog population size.
• 522,000 people is what we can estimate to be the overall population. 

Conservation

• They are not listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are instead considered to be of “least concern.”
• This designation indicates that an animal’s population is expanding and not in danger.

Fun Facts

• The “Hedge” in their name refers to the hedges, bushes, and shrubs where they like to build their nests. The “hog” component of the name refers to the little snorting or grunting noises they make, which are reminiscent of pigs or warthogs.
• One of just three mammals in the UK with the capacity to hibernate, although not all hedgehogs do so, is the hedgehog. For the duration of the winter, they isolate themselves and hibernate.
• It was not always used as the term for the animal. Before this, they were known as urchins, which gave rise to the name sea urchin.
• Since it cannot tolerate lactose, milk should never be left out for them; water is OK instead.

Reference Link

• https://g.co/kgs/1SmbQA

Hedgehog FAQ