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The African hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) is native to the savanna and steppe regions of central and eastern African and is now widely bred in North America for the pet industry. The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is a larger species, native to England and Europe and protected by law in many areas and therefore not common to the pet trade. To properly care for captive hedgehogs one should be familiar with basic information on their wellness care and normal behavior, handling, housing needs and appropriate nutrition.
The African hedgehog is relatively small with adult body weight ranges from 300-700 grams, with the male being larger. Life expectancy averages 3-4 years in the wild but up to 10 years in captivity. Hedgehogs are characterized by the short, grooved white and dark brown spines that cover the dorsum (back) of the body and crown of the head. Unlike the porcupine the spines are not barbed and though uncomfortable are unlikely to cause serious damage. Color mutations (“snowflake”, albino, champagne) may also be seen in the pet trade. The face and underside of the body is covered with soft, light-colored fur. Hedgehogs are naturally wary and when disturbed can assume a defensive posture by pulling their erect spines down over their forehead and rolling up into a tight ball of sharp spines.
Hedgehog toenails can curve at a relatively abrupt angle predisposing to ingrown toenails and trapped hair or carpet fibers which may lead to lameness and foot injuries. Therefore all ‘hedgies’ should have their feet examined after exploring the environment outside their cage. When relaxed, the ventral abdomen of the hedgehog can be examined making gender easy to identify. The male has a ventral prepuce located midway along the abdomen. The testes are usually intra-abdominal and are not easily palpated. The female has a vulva located close to the rectal opening. African hedgehogs breed year-round. The gestation period is 34-37 days. Litter size ranges from 1-7 with an average of 3-4 pups. The young are born blind with soft white spines. New brown spines appear in 2-3 days and the eyes open in 2-3 weeks. Weaning occurs at 4-6 weeks.
This mother hedgehog is alert and somewhat anxious as she is a new mother.
The hedgehog gestation period is 34-37 days with an average of 3-4 pups per litter.
Newborn hedgehogs are born blind with short, soft white spines.
These baby hedgehogs are 4-5 days old and the spines have hardened and turned their
characteristic brown color.
They will be weaned at 4-6 weeks of age.
In their native habitat, a hedgehog will dig its burrow under logs, leaves, among rocks, or tree roots and sleep most of the day. They are solitary and nocturnal, emerging at dusk to forage for insects, slugs, earthworms and snails. When undisturbed, they move with a waddling gait but can jog quickly and are adept at climbing, digging and swimming. The hedgehog has a keen sense of smell and hearing, making them adept hunters and foragers. Hibernation is not essential and is not recommended for captive African hedgehogs.
Captive hedgehogs may demonstrate a unique behavior of self-anointing or ‘anting’ which is usually elicited by substances with a strong odor. The hedgehog takes a favored object in its mouth, mixes it with saliva, and applies the mixture to its spines with the tongue. It has been speculated that the hedgehog performs this ritual in order to impart an individual odor to the hedgehog and its home range.
Housing and Diet
Hedgehogs are usually caged alone but can be housed in groups if given enough space. No more than one male should be kept in a group situation as multiple males may fight and are capable of inflicting serious injuries. Several types of cages are suitable for housing including, large terrariums, ferret or rabbit hutches or homemade enclosures. Wire flooring should be avoided due to the potential for toe and limb injury. Hedgehogs are excellent climbers, so cages should be smooth-walled and high enough to prevent escapes. Recycled newspaper products or wood shavings (aspen preferred) can be used as bedding, keeping in mind that it must be changed on a regular basis in order to prevent irritation or infection to their sensitive skin. A hide box for sleeping can be made from a cardboard or wooden box, hollowed log or rigid plastic tube lined with timothy hay or dry leaves. Some hedgehogs can be taught to use a litter box.
The natural diet consists primarily of a variety of insects and worms. Captive pets can be fed a mixture consisting of a hedgehog pellet such as Mazuri insectivore diet (available at Pet Care Veterinary Hospital), lesser amounts of gut-loaded crickets or mealworms, earthworms from the home garden, as well as a small amount of chopped fruit and vegetables. A diet solely of insects should be avoided as it may lead to a calcium-phosphorus imbalance and subsequent bone and limb abnormalities. Hedgehogs should be fed once daily in the evening. Clean, fresh water should be provided in water containers with sipper tubes and changed daily. Captive hedgehogs have a tendency to become obese and high fat, high calorie cat and ferret foods should be avoided. In addition, exercise should be encouraged, particularly in the evening when hedgehogs are more active.
The Drs. at Pet Care Veterinary Hospital recommend Mazuri brand insectivore
pellets as the mainstay of hedgehog nutrition as it is specifically balanced
and formulated for insectivorous mammals such as the hedgehog. Gut-loaded
(fortified prior to feeding) mealworms and crickets and small chopped up
pieces of fruit or vegetable can be added in for variety.
Handling
With continued gentle handling and confidence hedgehogs get used to their owners and vice versa, allowing the even-tempered pet to crawl into open hands and be picked up. Light leather gardening gloves may be used at first or when handling more apprehensive animals. When excited, hedgehogs typically roll-up into a ball of erect spines and make soft grunting noises. When left alone on a flat surface they can be coaxed to unroll where they should be left alone for several minutes until they feel comfortable. With time many hedgehogs demonstrate the ability to recognize their owners and with patient training may learn simple commands.
Common Conditions and Diseases
- Skin mites or ringworm (fungal) infections- bothmanifested by scales, crusts, and the loss of spines.
- Gastrointestinal disorders- malnutrition and sudden diet changes are the most common causes of hedgehog diarrhea.
- Dental disease - periodontitis and gingivitis are not uncommon esp. in hedgehogs maintained on a soft food diet. Large pieces of hard food may become trapped on the roof of the mouth causing discomfort.
- Cardiac (heart) Disease- may result in weight loss and labored breathing
- Cancer- very common in hedgehogs over 2 years of age. Any system can be affected (skin, reproductive tract, liver, lymph nodes etc.) with the oral cavity and skin being two common sites for tumor development. Clinical signs vary with tumor location and may include external lumps and bumps, lack of appetite, weight loss and generalized weakness.
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This hedgehog is also infected with Chorioptes spp. skin mites and shows the typical appearance of inflamed and flaking facial and body skin, as well as thinning of the quills along the back (arrows). Treatment involves cleaning the cage environment and giving the hedgehog injections of ivermectin; a drug that is very effective at killing skin mites. The injections are repeated 3 times at two week intervals. |
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This close up of a hedgehogs skin and spines comes from a hedgehog that was itching and uncomfortable. The dry, flaking skin demonstrated here could be indicative of either skin mites or a skin fungal (ringworm) infection caused by T mentagrophytes |
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A skin scraping was performed. In this technique the Dr. gently scrapes the superficial surface of the skin with a sharp blade until it bleeds slightly. The material is placed on a glass slide and viewed under the microscope. This image shows evidence of Chorioptes spp. skin mites thus confirming the diagnosis |
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This hedgehog suffers from an oral cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma.
It is a relatively common cancer in hedgehogs. The owner had noticed blood in
the hedgehog's food bowl and brought him in for an exam. The hedgehog was
anesthetized and the oral cancer found on examination of the roof of the mouth.
Affected hedgehogs are usually weakened from a lack of appetite as a result of
the painful mouth lesion. This cancer had progressed and this hedgehog
was humanely euthanized. |
References
1. Hoefer HL. Hedgehogs. In Vet Clin North Am Sm Anim Pract 24 (1) ; 113-120, 1994
2. Smith AJ. Husbandry and nutrition of hedgehogs, In Jenkins JR (ed) VCNA Exotic Animal
Practice, Elsevier 2(1); 127-141, 1999
3. Ivey E, Carpenter JW. African Hedgehogs In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW (eds.)Ferrets,
Rabbits and Rodents, Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 2 nd edition. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 50-57, 2003.
4. Lightfoot T. Clinical examination of chinchillas, hedgehogs, prairie dogs and sugar gliders. In
Orcutt CJ (ed) VCNA Exotic Animal Practice, Elsevier 2(2); 447-469, 1999.