Key Takeaways
African Pygmy Hedgehogs are solitary and nocturnal pets, requiring a spacious enclosure with a warm and dimly lit setting.
Their diet primarily consists of high-quality hedgehog food supplemented with insects and a small portion of fruits and veggies.
Common health issues include obesity and dental disease; regular vet checkups are advised.
African pygmy hedgehogs possess smooth spines that resemble brush bristles. Unlike the sharp quills of a porcupine, the spines of hedgehogs are not dangerous, making them approachable pets.
The African pygmy hedgehog, or four-toed hedgehog, is the smallest of the hedgehog species and is the species often sold for the pet trade. You can find these animals in a wide array of color patterns, including salt and pepper, snowflake, and cinnamon.
Pet hedgehogs are quiet, active, and entertaining, but they require a lot of care. They need spacious housing that must be cleaned often and quality hedgehog food. Plus, as nocturnal animals, you will need to feed and care for them in the evening hours.
The African pygmy hedgehogs have smooth spines that look like brush bristles. The hedgehogs are harmless like the quills of a porcupine; hence, they can be tamed pets.
African pygmy hedgehog or four-toed hedgehog is the smallest of the hedgehog species and it is the species that is frequently sold in the pet trade. These animals are available in very many color patterns which include salt and pepper, snowflake, cinnamon. Pet hedgehogs are active, quiet and entertaining with high needs of care. They require big accommodation which should be cleaned frequently and good hedgehog food. Besides, they are nocturnal creatures, which means that you would have to feed and take care of them during the evenings.
Species Overview
Common Names: African pygmy hedgehog, four-toed hedgehog
Scientific Name: Atelerix albiventris
Adult Size: 6 to 8 inches long, weighing between 8 to 21 ounces
Lifespan: 3 to 6 years in captivity (up to 10 years has been recorded)
Classification: Species of Rodents.
Adult Size: 6 to 8 inches long, 8-21 ounces weight
Living span: 3 to 6 years in prison (10 years have been reported)
Behaviour and Temperament of African Pygmy Hedgehogs.
The African pygmy hedgehogs are moderately demanding in terms of care and mostly active at night which makes them a good pet to an individual with a 9-to-5 job. They are silent and lonely creatures that do not long to have human contact and companionship with other creatures. They have adapted time to become accustomed to human beings but can be trained and handled by hand in a consistent and gentle manner. Hedgehogs do not bite and their primary defense mechanism is through the spines.
The majority of the hedgehogs possess an amusing self-anointing behavior that is not pleasant to observe at first. Once an introduction of a hedgehog to a novel smell or a meal, the animal starts to froth at the mouth and spans its saliva around its back. Nobody is completely certain as to why hedgehogs do it and some do it more than the rest. Nevertheless, it is not something to worry about. Scholars believe that it may be a form of releasing stress or defense.
Size Information
The African pygmy hedgehogs are between 6 and 8 inches in length and weigh an average of 1 pound. They mature after approximately two to eight months.
Housing
These animals are solitary and like to stay in solitude and may fight when in the presence of other hedgehogs. They require space even at an individual level. A minimum of 2 feet wide, and 4 feet long is enough, but larger is always better. Choose a house with a smooth floor and walls e.g. an aquarium. Ensure it is tightly fitted with a mesh lid so that it can be air-ventilated. It can also be enclosed by wire walls but, again, the space between the wires must not exceed one inch otherwise the hedgehog is likely to squeeze through. Do not enclose them on wire floors or they can cut their feet.
The shelter of the hedgehog ought to be near a place that is quiet, dark and hot (approximately 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit). Put a box or any other hiding place where the hedgehog can go to sleep safe.
Bedding is typically done with aspen shavings as well as recycled paper alternatives, and also kiln-dried pine. Some owners of the African pygmy hedgehogs keep them indoors on indoor-outdoor carpeting or fleece instead of loose bedding material to avoid the smelling of the cage with cedar shavings, which would be toxic to the small mammals. These alternatives are greener since they can be washed and reused. Nevertheless, when using carpeting or fabric, any loose thread ought to be clipped and a spare piece is always handy to make cleaning and replacing an easy task.
What do African pygmy hedgehogs eat or drink?
Hedwig in the wild is mostly an insect-eating mammal. Supplemented with mealworms, crickets and other delicacies High-quality cat food was formerly the food of choice of pet hedgehogs. Today, the pet market offers quality food to hedgehogs that gives the exact nutritional value required by your spiny pet. When you decided to feed it cat food, be sure it is of a grain-free type.
The Eating and Drinking Habits of African Pygmy Hedgehogs.
Hedgehogs are insect mammals among others in the wild. A quality cat food–with mealworms, crickets and other treats–was previously the food of choice to feed pet hedgehogs. The pet industry is selling good hedgehog food these days that gives your prickly pet the specific nutrients that it requires. When you decide to feed it with cat food, be sure that it is a type of cat food without grain in it.
The hedgehogs are creatures of the night and therefore it is best to feed them at night when they are most active. Put their commercial diet in a small, shallow bowl and dispose any food that is left on a daily basis and replace it with a new portion of food. Besides the staple diet include around 1 teaspoon of cut fruits and vegetables daily in a separate little bowl. This is better done early in the evening and this way the remnants can be removed late in the evening before the fresh food becomes spoilt. Check with your vet on what to feed on- fruits and veggies.
Moreover, you can give insects, such as crickets and mealworms, a couple of times per week. Following live insects mimics activities in the wild such as foraging and gives mental stimulation to captive hedgehogs.
It should be supplied in a small bowl or a water bottle. Others may require them to use together until they become accustomed with the use of the bottle. Whichever you prefer, it is important that you replace the water in your hedgehog and give it a daily (or even more frequent) change and ensure that the tip of the bottle is moving.
The illustration presents data on the maintenance of an African pygmy hedgehog as a pet.
Credit: The Spruce / Lisa Fasol
Common Health Problems
The health conditions that afflict hedgehogs are common and some of them include:
- Obesity (typically as a result of improper diet).
- Dental disease
- Heart disease
- Eye injuries
- Mange and skin infections (as a rule, due to the unsanitary conditions)
- Wobbly hedgehog syndrome (a form of progressive disability that leads to paralysis)
- All veterinarians do not deal with hedgehogs. You should have a vet nearby that will treat your animal before even adopting it as a pet.
- Training Your Pygmy Hedgehog of African descent.
Hand-taming the hedgehogs is what is happening most of the time. This sensitive animal will at first curl up into a spiny ball as soon as you attempt to pick it up. And wait and hold the ball in your hand and your hedgehog will unwind him/herself, and begin to explore at his/her own pace. As soon as your hedgehog knows that you are not going to do it, it will become more active and its spines will be flattened.
Exercise
The African pygmies are fond of exercising, and in nature they need it to keep them out of obesity and other health problems.4 They walk a long distance in a day in the wild. Present an exercise wheel to your hedgehog. It is important that the wheel is open-sided and solid instead of barred which is likely to cause injury to your hedgehog.It should have a diameter of at least 10 inches to ensure that your hedgehog has ample space to run around in.
Grooming
A hedgehog will usually clean himself. It may however require the periodic nail trims as it may not wear its nails in its natural habitat as it would in the confines of its cage. Numerous owners do not need to pay a vet to have their hedgehog nails trimmed, as they can do it themselves once shown how to do it. You should not disturb your hedgehog in the process.
Upkeep Costs
Quality diet and fresh bedding will be the regular purchases that you will make to take care of your hedgehog. Other miscellaneous expenses would be treats and toys. In addition, the price of annual checkup of the veterinary should also be considered, as well as emergency visits to the veterinary. In a month, you will have an average spending range of between 20-40 dollars, depending on your diet and the bedding that you will use.
100 Hedgehog Names: Cute, Funny, & Pop Culture-Inspired Names.
Sample illustration of name ideas of pet hedgehogs.
Advantages and Disadvantages of owning an African Pygmy Hedgehog as a Pet.
Hedgehogs do not, as a rule, make cuddly pets, and are most active by night.
Like African Pygmy Hedgehog: Small Exotic Pets.
Adopting Your African Pygmy Hedgehog or Purchasing Him or Her.
You can find a good breeder or rescue instead of purchasing your spiny friend in a pet shop where you do not know how he or she was raised. Most of the areas have hedgehog-exclusive rescue groups. It is also possible to ask a local exotic animal veterinarian whether he or she knows somebody who would like to adopt a pet. This will cost between 100 and 300 dollars on average but this might be different. Hedgehogs that are hand tamed and hedgehogs that are of good color tend to fetch more money especially to the younger ones.
Reproduction/Breeding
No difference exists between getting a hedgehog via a breeder and adopting one but you may get a younger creature via a breeder. An excellent breeder will breed in good temperament and will exercise his young regularly.
Watch out against flaky skin, absence of spines or sputum about the eyes or the nose. Remember also to check the hedgehog has fair body shape not too thin or too fat, but with no trace of diarrhea. A veterinarian can make you turn into a good breeder. Just keep your hedgehogs in their own cages so that you will not become a breeder yourself.
FAQ
Is hedgehog a good pet among children?
Hedgehogs are nocturnal and they like a relaxed way of life, thus would not make good pets among young children. They may however like playing around with older kids who are calm.
Do hedgehogs like to be held?
Hedgehogs do not particularly enjoy cuddling, although they can be taught to have confidence with humans and become okay with being picked up.
Do hedgehogs make bad pets?
Hedgehogs are moderately maintained, mostly as a way of maintaining cleanliness in the surrounding. However, they are rather easy to feed and do not need much attention.
