We have two male four-toed Hedgehogs named Huck and Sawyer born only a few weeks apart from each other one in December of 2023 and the other January of 2024. This species of hedgehogs is the smallest type and mainly found in Africa. They are a well-known domesticated pet. They have spines different from a porcupine’s quill because they are embedded in the skin, and they do not shed them. They are solitary animals and are never housed with another because they get very territorial. Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, so they are up during the night but sleep during the day.
When hedgehogs are born, they can have up to seven in a litter. Their spines are soft and short. Soon after birth, their spines harden, becoming stiffer, sharper, and longer. Babies stay in the nest until they’re about three weeks old. By that time, their eyes are open, their spines are effective, and they can safely follow their mother outside the nest as she looks for food.
A wild hedgehog’s menu consists of insects, followed by small mice, snails, lizards, frogs, eggs, and even snakes.
Hedgehogs sometimes add extra protection to their spines by “self-anointing.” Immune to poisons in some plants, hedgehogs sometimes eat those plants and then make a frothy saliva in their mouths. The hedgehogs then lick their spines, spreading the saliva with the plant’s poison all over the spikes. Though hedgehogs mainly stay on the ground, they swim quite well and even climb trees.
Did You Know?
The hedgehog can consume about 1/3 of their body weight in a single night of feeding. How much food would you have to eat to consume this much in one day? (Hint: divide your weight by 3)
