Hedgehogs can be a fun and low-maintenance pet for your household, but they do need some special care.
They have sharp quills that can make handling difficult. Consistent and proper daily handling will help them relax and feel comfortable with you.
hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are one of only three mammals in the UK that hibernate; the other two being bats and dormice. Hedgehogs are largely immune to snake venom, meaning that they'd stand as a very strong opponent against them in a fight. They could even eat it afterwards, too!
When exposed to putrid smells or tastes, they will ‘self-anoint’ meaning that they will rub frothy saliva on their quills, and nobody really knows why!
The Latin word for hedgehogs is Erinaceus and the British hedgehog is known as Erinaceus europaeus; which is the same for most of the hedgehogs found across Europe.
Their litters are born in numbers ranging from one to eleven. The babies will remain with their mothers for four to seven weeks before going off on their own. Mothers must guard their babies from predators during this period, some of which can actually be other male hedgehogs, who are known to prey upon the young of their species.
what are hedgehogs
In the early 1980s, after a hiatus of about 1600 years, hedgehog domestication again became popular. Some U.S. states, however, ban them, or require a license to own one.[7]
Since domestication restarted, several new colors of hedgehogs have been cultivated or become common, including albino and pinto hedgehogs. "Pinto" is a color pattern, rather than a color: A total lack of color on the quills and skin beneath, in distinct patches.
Currently, the species most common among domestic hedgehogs are African, from warm climates (above 22 °C, 72 °F). They do not hibernate in the wild, and if one of these African hedgehogs begins hibernation in response to lowered body temperature, the result can be its death. The process is easily reversed by warming, if caught within a few days of onset.