Hedgehogs are becoming an increasingly popular pet, but how much do you really know about them?
1. These adorable spiny creatures have over 5,000 quills on their bodies.
That's a lot of spikes!
2. Hedgehogs are native to nearly every continent except for the Americas and Antarctica.
So if you see a hedgehog in the wild, here in the States, you know it was probably someone's pet once.
3. Hedgehogs are popular pets despite being mostly nocturnal.
They sleep over 17 hours a day.
4. These little guys are voracious. They can consume 1/3 of their entire weight in food.
That's a characteristic I can respect.
5. So, what exactly do they eat?
Pretty much everything. From insects like worms and beetles to fruit and mushrooms, nothing is excluded from the menu.
6. They do sound like pigs.
True to their name, hedgehogs do sound like pigs when they are foraging because they grunt like wild hogs while searching under-leaf for bugs.
7. Hedgehog babies are called piglets.
But they don't look much like a pink piglet, so they aren't easily confused.
8. The average lifespan of a hedgehog is about eight years.
Eight years is not long enough to enjoy these majestic creatures.
9. It is illegal to have a pet hedgehog in Washington D.C. and New York.
The good news is that it is perfectly legal to have a pet hedgehog in Florida.
11. If threatened, the hedgehog curls into a spiny ball.
When in danger, the hedgehog rolls into a spiky ball and waits for the predator to go away. It does not shoot quills or roll away.
12. They shed their spines annually.
Not all at once, of course, but gradually over a year.
13. What they consider a home varies.
Some species dig their own burrows or inhabit the abandoned burrows of other earth-moving dwellers such as the aardvark or badger. Other hedgehogs create nests under bushes or in hollow logs with leaves, twigs, and moss.
14. Hedgehogs hibernate during winter.
The do the same in summer if they live in a desert region.
15. They are prey animals.
Their main predators include owls and other birds of prey as well as the mongoose, ferret, and fox.
16. Large hedgehogs will hunt snakes.
They have erinacin, a protein that naturally counteracts toxic venom, which would help them fend off a bite from a snake. However, this does not make them entirely immune to the potent venom of some serpents like cobras and pit vipers.
17. If you remember nothing else from this article at least remember that a group of hedgehogs is called a prickle.
You won't forget that one.
18. The African Pygmy Hedgehog is the most common species in the pet trade.
These spiky snowballs are the cutest.
20. Due to their pest-rich diet, hedgies have a nickname.
They are called a "Gardner's Best Friend."
21. Their eyesight is underdeveloped.
They rely mainly on sound and smell to track prey.
If you are considering adopting a hedgehog as a pet, make sure you are a nighttime person who likes to stay up late as this is when your pet will be most active. It's not fair to wake them up in the day for hours on end. Hedgehogs are nocturnal by nature, but will be awake for a few hours during daytime. Feed them a varied diet of hedgehog kibble (yes, this exists) and fruits and vegetables. Treats should include live or freeze-dried meal worms. The most important rule, however, is to love your hedgie as much as you would a dog or cat.
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