African Pygmy Hedgehog Care
(Atelerix Albiventris)
African Pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) originate from central Africa, where they live a solitary
life, mainly sleeping during the day and coming out to forage at night. They can make entertaining
interactive pets if handled from a young age and can live between 3-6 years if looked after correctly.
From the time you bring your hedgie home, it could take up to a year or more for the hedgehog to bond with you; or it could never happen at all. You must handle them with bare hands daily to show them attention regardless of their attitude. A bonding scarf or pouch may be a good item to purchase to help with quality time together. Other hedgie parents hang out with their quilly friends at least a half hour during the day and one hour at night. Handling them or letting them crawl on you is the most rewarding experiences you can do with your hedgehog while he's awake.
HOUSING
The minimum size cage recommended for a hedgehog is 36 x 24 but the bigger the better with enough clutter to keep them comfortable and secure. Cages should be well ventilated and NEVER glass aquariums. Glass aquariums are not safe for hedgehogs due to ammonia buildup from poor ventilation and the clear sides also do not make the hedgehogs feel secure enough which can lead to stress. Safe caging options for hedgehogs are wire cages 1/4th – 1 inch bar spacing, plastic cages with ventilation holes, or even plastic tote diy cages with proper ventilation holes. When using wire cages, it is advised to block about 1-3 inches of the wires with either plastic, or metal guards to ensure your hedgehogs will not climb the bars and be injured falling or getting a leg stuck between the bars. Do not underestimate them on how crafty they can be with climbing they are taller than they seem so they can normally get above the plastic sides on most cages and climb the bars. Some hedgies will never try but some do and have suffered injuries, loss of a limb, and even death from a fall. So it is better to be safe than sorry in that aspect or just go with a plastic tote or plastic cage that isn’t climbable.
Hedgies should have a thick layer of substrate to burrow into and move around as they please, typically 2-4 inches is sufficient. Acceptable substrates for hedgehogs are killin-dried large flake aspen and pine bedding. These substrates are great because they are less likely to be ingested as hedgies love to anoint which often involves licking or chewing on things. Killin-dried aspen and pine also properly absorb urine and they have ammonia neutralizing properties unlike other beddings. Too much ammonia can cause upper respiratory distress and illnesses, so it is imperative to have a proper substrate. Substrates to avoid are non killin-dried pine and aspen, cedar, mulch, dirt, topsoil, sand, paper, fleece, and non-flake pine or aspen as sharp pieces can injury a hedgehog’s fragile feet or undersides.
The table below shows the results of a scientific study done on the ammonia concentrations of some different substrate options after 3 weeks of use.
Cage furnishings and enrichment items should be offered hedgies tend to like a strategically cluttered cage. You want enough room for them to move but still feel secure and hidden. We offer multiple hides or igloos, lots of washable plush toys, wood chews and wooden balls, even a small bowl or tub with large craft puff balls can be provided to encourage digging behavior, cuddle sacks are also awesome options for hedgies as they love curling up to sleep inside them! A large 12 inch or larger exercise wheel should also be provided to give the hedgie the opportunity to run. Avoid smaller wheels as they have been proven to have ill effects on the spinal cord in larger mammals such as hedgehogs, rats, chinchillas, etc.
Hedgehogs can sometimes be litter trained but usually they are generally very messy animals, and they will need full cage cleanings and proper disinfecting. Your hedgehog will also need frequent bathing to avoid dry skin and feces being stuck to feet or quills. You can safely bathe your hedgehog with shallow lukewarm water in your sink or bathtub etc. and Johnson’s baby soap or a hedgehog specific soap. Avoid letting your hedgehog drink the soapy water by letting them play and walk around in clean water fist before adding soap. To clean the quills a soft bristle toothbrush is great for giving a gentle scrub without getting poked. It may take your hedgehog some time to adjust to baths but the more you do it the better they will get and hopefully with any luck come to enjoy it!
Enclosure temperature should be kept at 75-86°F if you live in a cooler climate area or use air conditioning during warm months supplemental heat provided with a ceramic heat emitter and light fixture may be needed to achieve proper temperature in our opinion, they do better with just always offering a cooler side and a warmer side with the CHE.
COHABITATION
Hedgehogs are not social animals; therefore, they should NEVER be housed together to avoid fighting and injury. Hedgehogs live a fully solitary life aside from breeding and are happiest when kept by themselves.
DIET
Hedgehogs are naturally omnivorous, they eat a large variety of insects, as well as occasional snails, and small vertebrates. Some suggest feeding high quality cat foods, but in our opinion a high-quality hedgehog specific pellet diet with a variety of live insects is far superior for the hedgehog’s health and wellbeing. Our personal favorite that all our hedgehogs have thrived so well on is hedgehog precision. They offer 3 different formulas for all types of hedgehogs. Some hedgies struggle to gain weight and need a higher protein content in their diets and hedgehog precision high calorie formula does great for these hedgehogs. Most commonly hedgies suffer from obesity so limiting food and hedgehog precision weight control formula do wonders for these kinds of hedgies. Their standard formula does great for hedgehogs with normal metabolisms. Also, we found that dried bugs are best to be avoided most hedgies prefer live and we found it made ours all have weird stools. Live bugs have a better moisture content making for better nutrition and digestion.
Good feeder insects are phoenix flies/black soldier fly larvae, dubia cockroaches, mealworms, silkworms, and hornworms. Insects should always be sources from captive breeders or pet stores. Outside bugs should never be fed to your hedgie as often they can harbor parasites that can make your hedgehog sick. Other items safe for hedgehogs in moderation are Fresh low sodium fish, raw or cooked eggs, unseasoned cooked roast beef, unseasoned cooked chicken breasts, unseasoned cooked duck meat, unseasoned cooked turkey breast.
Care sheet provided by Fantastic Beast’s Exotic Rescue.
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