I have three kinds of new pets in our house now: hamsters, love birds and hedgehogs. They are from my boyfriend. I have guinea pigs before, but we gave them all to my friends because they ate too much but we had not earned any money from them.
My boyfriend is really a pet lover. Previously, he gave me one puppy named "Chow-chow." From the name itself, you can guess that he loves to eat. LOL! He also gave me one cute cat named "Yuki." I believe you have an idea why he gets that name. Yuki is white like snow. What our family loves the most is his blue eyes.
Photo Credit: featuredcreature.com
In this blog, I want to share with you about my hedgehog pets. Until now I am still scared to hold them with my bare hands because of my fear that I might get pierced by their sharp hair or quills.
The name hedgehog is a fusion of the terms “hedge” and “hog.” Hedgehogs are so called because they love to stay under the cover of hedge or bush and their snout resembles that of a pig. However, hedgehogs normally dig the soil for shelter.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal mammals mostly found in some parts of Asia, Europe, New Zealand and Africa. Other names for hedgehog include hedgepig, urchin and furze-pig. A group of hedgehogs is called prickle or array.
As a nocturnal creature, a hedgehog sleeps during the day and is active during nighttime. Normally, hedgehogs are hibernating animals. It is possible for them to sleep the day away.
Photo Credit: hamorhollow.com
When feeding the hedgehogs, be extra careful when touching them, or else you might get hurt by their sharp quills. Although the quills are soft near the base of the hair, the tip is pointed. This is nature’s way of defending themselves against predators. An average hedgehog has 5,000 to 6,500 quills all over the back.
Hedgehogs are expensive. You can buy them in the mall for three thousand pesos per pair. The pair is made up of a male and a female. However, I have two females and one male in the cage because my boyfriend got a discount from his friend on Facebook. My female hedgehogs are 7 months old and the male is 6 months old.
Photo Credit: secthedgehogs.com
After a long time of waiting, the two females got pregnant and gave birth to cute hoglets. One mother produced four hoglets, while the other mother produced three little ones. The second mother actually produced before, but unfortunately she killed them all. She did this because she was upset that we touched her babies. We didn't know before that lactating mothers are too sensitive and don't want any disturbance.
This is the video of a hedgehog giving birth.
Warning: When the female hedgehog is lactating, be sure to separate the female from the male. If not, the male might devour the baby hedgehogs.
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This is the drinking bottle of hedgehog. This container is good for one week of use.
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Cat food is used to feed the hedgehogs.
Bath Time Of My Three Hedgehogs. I use dog toothbrush or nail brush and little shampoo for their quills.
Photo Credit: drsfostersmith.com
Dog toothbrush used for bathing.
This is the mother hedgehog with four hoglets.
This is the mother hedgehog. Look at her quills, its so sharp but she's kind not like the other one.
Two days old hoglets. :)
10 days old.
14 days old. Their eyes are not open yet.
This is the mother hedgehog that is so strict, so we never disturb her. After feeding her, we leave her alone. She has three hoglets.
This is the video of the male hedgehog (breeder). He loves to hide and sleep all day!
Here are some additional cool facts about hedgehogs:
- Average life expectancy: 3.5 years
- Maximum life expectancy: 9 years
- Pregnancy period: 35 days
- Adult weight (average): 9-19 ounces
- Optimum shelter temperature: 72-80 degrees Fahrenheit
