Basic Hedgehog Facts

4608 Views 0 Replies 1 Participant Last post by Moderator, Mar 24, 2021

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Discussion Starter · Mar 24, 2021 (Edited by Moderator)

Classification	CLASS: Mammalia
	ORDER: Eulipotyphla
Number of Genus	5
Number of Species	16
Domesticated Species	Four-Toed Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)
Average Life Span	3.5 years
Maximum Life Span	9 years
Common Life Span	3-5 years
Heat Cycle	Ovulation induced by male
Estrous:	2 - 5 days
Diestrous:	2 - 5 days
Gestation period	35 days (up to 50 days to rule out pregnancy)
Litter Size:	average 4, up to 9
Eyes open	14-16 days
Weaning age	5-7 weeks
Time to remove from mother:	6-7 weeks
Complete Physical Maturity	10 - 11 months
Average Adult Weight	9 - 19 ounces
	200 - 600 grams
Recommended maximum number of litters per year per female hedgehog	2
First Sexual Capability:
Male	6 weeks
Female	8 weeks
First breeding best	6-7 months
Female fertility ends	Approximately 3 years
First quilling	4 weeks
Second quilling	6 weeks
Third quilling:	9 weeks
Adult quilling	12 weeks
Adult color quilling	9 weeks
Best Room Temperatures	73 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit
	23 - 27 degrees Celsius
Hibernation	Hibernation can be lethal for pet hedgehogs
Sexes	Males and females should be housed separately
Quills	Quills are modified hairs, they do not have barbs
	The average hedgehog has 5,000 -7,000 quills
	Quills are hard on the outside, filled with soft air pockets on the inside
	There are 2 large muscles on either side of a hedgehog's back to raise and lower its quills and curl into a ball. This is a hedgehog's only defense.
DIET
Diet in the Wild	Insects (beetles, beetle larvae & pupae, ants, termites, grasshoppers, crickets, moths, moth larvae & pupae, insect eggs, etc.) Other invertebrates (centipedes, millipedes, earthworms, spiders, snails, slugs, scorpions, etc.) Meat (rodent young, bird nestlings, carcasses) Mushrooms & plant roots Berries & fruit
Diet in Captivity	Dry cat or dog food
Diet Supplements (treats)	Insects (mealworms, crickets, etc) meat, eggs, assorted fruits and vegetables
Dairy Products	Hedgehogs are mildly lactose intolerant. Dairy products should be fed sparingly or not at all
Suggested Nutritional Requirements	Protein Suggested requirement - 28-35% Fat Suggested - 10-15% (15-20% for babies & underweight) Fiber Suggested - 15% Calcium Suggested - 0.9% Phosphorus Suggested - 0.9% Iron Suggested - 75 ppm Copper (mg/kg) 4-23 7-16 3-7 Manganese (mg/kg) 11-146 11-70 5 Zinc (mg/kg) 20-175 100-190 30
Recommended Caloric Intake	70-100 calories per day
HOUSING
Min. Recommended floor area	8 sq feet
	0.74 sq Metres
Cage Floor	Solid - NO Wire
Exercise	Hedgehog Wheel (solid running surface, no wire) Toilet Paper Tube (for hedgehogs over 3 months of age only!) Small child-safe toys Daily Handling
COMMON AILMENTS
Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS)	A genetic disorder that causes progressive paralysis similar to the human form of MS. There is no cure and the afflicted hedgehogs slowly and eventually become totally paralyzed. The disease appears to be carried by a recessive gene making detection and eradication difficult. Breeders should avoid using hedgehogs with any WHS in their family lines.
Cancer	Hedgehogs are prone to a variety of tumors and cancers. Common ones include reproductive cancers (females more so than males) and oral cancers (fast-growing and difficult to surgically remove).
Eyes	Eyes can be lost to quill pokes, most commonly when multiple hedgehogs are housed together. Infection is common if not treated immediately.
Teeth	Tooth loss and wear can occur in older hedgehogs. Weight loss can occur in extreme cases. There is some speculation that an all-hard food diet can cause premature tooth wear. Hedgehogs with poor dentition should be fed a soft food diet to compensate and prevent weight loss.
TERMINOLOGY
Males	Males
Females	Females
Young	Hoglets or pups
Breeding Group	Herd
Quills	Quills or Spines
Anointing or Self-Anointing	The act of frothing at the mouth, arching the head back over the shoulders and depositing the frothy saliva onto the quills. Triggered by pungent smells and new tastes. The exact purpose of anointing is unknown.

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