Pygmy Hedgehog rodents for sale | Pets4Homes (2024)

FAQs

What is the life expectancy of a pygmy hedgehog? ›

Here's why we can't fairly recommend keeping African pygmy hedgehogs as pets: The African pygmy hedgehog is a wild animal and compared to other domestic pets, caring for them is very difficult. African pygmy hedgehogs are naturally nocturnal and so must be left alone during the daytime.

Are hedgehogs cuddly? Hedgehogs are solitary animals in the wild, so they may be shy and wary of people. Building trust with a pet hedgehog takes time, patience, and a gentle approach. If you get a hedgehog when it's young and slowly acclimate it to being handled, they can be playful, but they may never become cuddly.

Pygmy hedgehogs are solitary animals, and must be housed in separate enclosures. They are nocturnal and can often roam for up to 3 miles a night in the wild, so they need as large a home as possible. The recommended minimum size is 4 foot x 2 foot (120cm x 60cm) for an adult hedgehog.

The more you handle pygmy hedgehogs, the friendlier they become. When they are relaxed, their spines lay almost flat but when they feel threatened, they will roll into a tight ball with their spines sticking up. This can make them tricky to handle until they are used to you.

For such little animals, hedgehogs can make one heck of a racket! And like the very worst noisy neighbours, they generally get started in the garden at night. When you are tucked up in bed, trying to get some sleep. Grunting and snuffling, like a pig = hedgehog out and about, looking for food.

Hedgehogs tend to bond with their owners. They will remember your voice, your smell, and even your appearance. Some will only relax with their owners and be loyal to their owners. Make sure a hedgehog is the pet for you, be prepared for a commitment.

While there are 17 different options, the African pygmy tends to be the primary choice for pet owners. This cute and cuddly hedgehog is smaller in size, making it easier to find housing in your home. It tends to have a calmer nature than some of the other hedgehogs and becomes friendly over time.

Bathing Frequency

Many people get confused about how often they should bathe their hedgehogs. Your vet should be the ultimate authority here. That said, in general, about once a month is good. Don't bathe your pet too often: this could dry out his skin!

Either a vivarium measuring 36 x 18 ins or a large Zoo Zone 2 cage make good homes for your pygmy hedgehog according to the African Pygmy Hedgehog Club UK. Zoo Zone's are not as warm as vivariums, so the club advise you use a Petnap heat pad with this type of enclosure.

What does it mean when your hedgehog licks you? ›

In The Hedgehog, Maurice Burton suggests that licking may be a non-functional response to a stimulus (smell or taste) and the saliva is merely an annoyance that is wiped off onto the spines.

African Pygmy Hedgehogs are insectivorous and so should be offered items such as mealworms, crickets, locusts and co*ckroaches. These are available live which provides the most environmental enrichment but can also be purchased dried or canned.

Reproduction & Lifespan

Litter size ranges from 2 to 10 pups, with 4 being the most common. African pygmy hedgehogs live no more than 3 years in the wild and up to 10 years in captivity.

Hedgehogs are not as easy to litter train as cats, but they can learn to do so. However, they won't do it instinctively – it is up to you to teach them how. By following the four steps in our articles and purchasing the appropriate accessories, you should be rewarded with a clean and perfectly potty-trained hedgehog!

Hedgehogs are fun, friendly, inquisitive pets. They prefer to sleep during the day and are active at dusk and in the evenings. With proper care your hedgehog should live approximately 6 years or more.

Hedgehog skin pigmentation also changes with age. A majority of wild European hedgehogs are born with brown noses but elderly hedgehogs start to lose this pigmentation and their skin starts to turn pink. This is particularly striking in this old lady hedgehog.

Hedgehogs typically live two to three years in the wild. The most common cause of death in the wild is due to predation rather than age. Various resources report a relatively wide range in the maximum life expectancy of hedgehogs kept as pets.

A 5-year-old hedgehog is about 76 in people years, so if your hedgehog lives 5-7 years it has lived a full life but five years is longer than the national average.