Some Thing's Can Help About Hedgehog Keeping...

[Cool Man Exotics]

Things Needed Before Having a Hedgehog:

1. Plastic Bin - [with good ventilation, light weight thus easy to clean]
2. Woodshavings - [with no fine dust]
3. Catfood - [for staple diet ie., Iams, Friskies, Whiskas, Etc.]
4. Water Bottle or Dish Bowls - [for water and food]
5. Treats - [3x a week ie., Super worms, Meal worms, Crickets, Etc.]
6. Exercise Wheel - [If available]

BREEDING:

- 6 months is the best breeding age, though depending on your hedgehog’s temperament she can be bred as early as 5 months [MINIMUM].
- Male and Female should be in optimum health before breeding.
- Male should have no female visitor in his cage for the last 2 weeks prior to breeding.
- Weigh the Female before the stud starts [very useful in determining on the 4th week]
- Put the Female into the Male's cage and remove all obstacles that might get on their way.
- They have an average of 35 - 37 days gestation period.
- Clean the cage and prepare a nest box that has enough space for the Mom and your expected hoglets a week before her expected due date.

SIGNS OF PREGNANCY:

- Enlargement of her tummy [very visible on the 4th week, especially if your female is thin from the start of breeding]
- Nipples will be bigger than the usual and somewhat more pink.
- Eating and drinking more than the usual
- Weight increase [if she has gain weight of about 50 grams or more, then probably she is pregnant]
- If the entrance is almost blocked by woodshavings, then she is about to give birth.

OATMEAL BATH:

1. buy a ready to cook not instant oatmeal. any brand will do. the price for this brand is only less than 40 pesos. if you have 4-6 hedgehogs a 500g will lasts more than a month if you bathe your hedgies in a weekly schedule. Half cup of oatmeal is enough for two hedgies.

2. look for an old foot sock (wag lang yung butas butas na!), lagay niyo lang yung oatmeal then buhol yung end.or a fine strainer will do...

3. soak it for a minute or two in clean water, then squeeze until the water becomes milky. then set aside.

4. clean your hedgie with clean water. used a sort toothbrush for scrubbing the quills.

5. pour the oatmeal "juice" to the hedgehog. let him/her soak for about 2 minutes. quick rinse with clean water.

6. let you hedgie snuggle in a towel to dry.

NOTE: This method really helps hedgies that turns into huff ball when quilling. it soothes their skin and relaxes it from stress during quiling. this can also becomes a bonding time for you and your hedgies.

it is important to let your hedgies to completely dry before putting it back into its cage especially if you are using wood shavings as substrate.


LIST OF GOOD FOOD & BAD FOOD FOR YOUR HEDGEHOGS:


[Generally fruits will be given raw and veggies cooked. Frozen food is too hard for hedgies so make sure that if frozen fruits/veggies are used that they are thawed out well.]


GOOD FOOD:

Fruits - [Cherry, Apple, Watermelon, Banana, Pears, Strawberry, Cantaloupe, Papaya,
Mango, Peaches, Pumpkin, Squash, Honeydew, Cranberries, Raspberry, Blackberry,
Plum, Blueberry (remove the skin it can be a choking hazard.)]
Veggies - [Carrots, Sweet Potato, Raddish, Turnip, Green Pepper, Asparagus, Corn
(unseasoned), Broccoli, Peas (the mushy part inside)]

BAD FOOD:

Fruits - [Grapes, Raisins, Avocados, Oranges, Lemons, Lime, Grapefruit, Pineapple.]
Veggies - [Onions, Lettuce, Garlic, Chives, Mushrooms, Tomatoes]

NOTE: Anything with small seeds presents a choking hazard and overly acidic fruits are definitely not good for hedgies.


THINGS NOT SURE OF:
[Cucumber, Beans, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Cabbage, Celery, Pomegranate, Coconut, Kiwi, Starfruit]


BITING: ;D

- Any animal with teeth CAN bite. The only pets we are aware of that never bite are millipedes, goldfish, and earth worms (yes, there are people who raise worms for fun!).
- Hedgehogs are not typically biters, and their main line of defense is to curl themselves into a ball.
- We don’t want to make you fearful of a hedgehog bite but we do want to make you aware that it can happen, what to do, and how to understand your hedgehog’s biting.
- Hedgehogs can nip if they don’t recognize your scent or if they are nervous.
- They also may use biting as a form of communication since they have limited vocalization skills. Hedgies will use biting as a way to express their needs, frustrations, feelings, or desires.
- Biting may start when they are quilling as a means to express their discomfort.
- Some hedgehogs can be provoked by waking them up too early or by trimming their nails.
- Other hedgehogs only bite certain people or if their owners have been gone for a period of time. This type of biting is hedgie frustration or pouting.

Note: If your hedgehogs bites you, don't return them on their Bin or house right away... we don't want them to conclude that (bite=back to cage or home)... You can put them on the floor or any safe place just not to their Bin... and just wash your hands after the bite with clean water and soap.

Source: Hedgehog Central Forums, PPF and istorya.net Forum

[Cool Man Exotics]

Ten Things You Should Know About Hedgehogs

1.Hedgehogs roll up in a ball to protect themselves. Their feet, face and tail are tucked inside, and their prickly hollow hairs — called “spines” — face outward and deter most predators from attacking.
2. A baby hedgehog is called a hoglet.
3.Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, which means they sleep during the day and are awake at night.
4.Hedgehogs hibernate during the winter but wake up on warm days to drink water and eat. They roll themselves into a ball and make a nest using dry leaves to keep warm.
5.There are 5,000 to 7,000 spines on the average adult hedgehog!
6.Hedgehogs can make their spines even more protective by chewing on the leaves of poisonous plants, making a frothy liquid in their mouths and applying the poisonous paste by licking their spines.
7.Hedgehogs communicate by grunting, snorting and snuffling. They hiss when threatened.
8.In the UK, a hedgehog’s main predator is the badger, but cars, lawnmowers, pesticides and chemicals also pose a threat to hedgehogs. Thoroughly search bonfire areas before lighting fires, as hedgehogs like to crawl into these cosy spots.
9.Hedgehogs have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of hearing.
10.During hibernation, hedgehogs’ heartbeats drop from 190 beats per minutes to 20 beats per minute and their body temperatures drop to around 10 degrees. Many hedgehogs die during the winter months.

[Cool Man Exotics]

Basic Hedgehog Facts

Classification

CLASS: Mammalia

ORDER: Insectivora

Number of Genus : 4

Number of Species : 14

Domesticated Species : African White-Bellied Hedgehog
(Atelerix albiventris)

Average Life Span : 3.5 years

Maximum Life Span : 9 years

Common Life Span : 4-6 years

Heat Cycle : Ovulation induced by male

Estrous: 2 - 5 days

Diestrous: 2 - 5 days

Gestation period : 35 days

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
255 - 540 grams

Recommended maximum number of litters per year per female hedgehog 2

First Sexual Capability

Male : 7-9 weeks

Female : 8-12 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 : 72 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit
20 - 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 are not very sharp and 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

*Beetles
*Ants
*Termites
*Grasshoppers
*Moths
*Centipedes
*Earthworms

Diet in Captivity

*Dry Cat food
*Mink and Ferret food
*Cooked poultry (never raw meat)
*Cooked egg (never raw)
*Diet Supplements (treats)
*Insects (mealworms, crickets, etc)
*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 - 22%
*Fat
Suggested - 5%
*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: 4 sq feet 0.37 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
-Ferret-size ball under supervision
-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 can suffer from cancerous growths and lesions to the same extent as other comparable species. Common to female hedgehogs are ovarian, uterine and mammary tumors; and to males, jaw and testicular tumors.

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.

[Cool Man Exotics]

Since your hedgehog cannot talk, he will communicate his likes and dislikes to you through his body language and a few quiet vocalizations.
Here is a list of some things he or she is trying to say:

SOUNDS

* Soft Purring and Whistling:
This is a sign of pure contentment.
* Puffing:
Displeasure, uncertainty
* Snorting or "Sneezing":
Usually accompanies puffing and means the same thing
* Hissing and Clicking:
This means "get away from me, I’m scared or tired of you".
* Snuffling:
Happily checking things out
* Chirping:
Usually done by males while breeding and by nursing hoglets (babies)
* Screaming:
Physical pain, fear and sometime anger
* Sounds Heard During Sleep:
Believe it or not, some hedgehogs actually snore! Like dogs and cats, they also appear to dream and will sniff, snort and chirp quietly all the while.


BODY LANGUAGE

* Rolled up ball:
Fearful
* Spines Erect:
All Over: displeasure or fear
On Forehead Only: Cautious, uncertain
Spines Laying Flat All Over: Everything is fine. He feels comfortable and safe.
* Self - Anointing:
If your hedgehog smells something he likes or if he simply comes across a smell that he is unfamiliar with, such as leather, perfume, etc., he will foam at the mouth and will then deposit this foamy saliva on his back and shoulders. In an effort to cover as much of their backs as possible with this foam, many hedgehogs will contort their bodies in such a way that they will sometimes fall over. Many hedgehogs become so engrossed with this activity that they become totally oblivious to anything going on around them! No one is really certain why hedgehogs perform this unusual behaviour (more often seen in males than females) but there is no shortage of theories.
One possible explanation is that they are trying to remember a particular smell by mixing it with the saliva and then depositing it on the spines. Another is that the foam acts as a repellant or toxin to a hedgehog's enemies. Whatever the reason, though, self-annointing is a normal occurrence and is no cause for alarm.
Circling:
To be perfectly honest, we don’t understand this behavior either, but it surely is good exercise! Circling should not, however, be mistaken for pacing - common in animals that are confined in too small an area - since hedgehogs in the wild frequently run circles as well. (Perhaps they know about the Olympics.) Not only do they run in circles, but they often run in figure-eights as well!
* Awake time:
Your hedgehog is diurnal. This means that, like a cat, he will be awake during parts of both the day and night, but will be most active at dawn and after dark until 2 or 3 am. By handling him mostly during the daytime, you can easily change his sleep habits so that he will sleep more during the night and be more active during the day. If you are normally gone during the day, though, his normal sleep habits will most likely suit you just fine.

[nekuprocrast]

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