Are African pygmy hedgehogs good pets?

While the charity says hedgehogs are not suitable pets, it advises would-be owners to research the animal’s needs – and only consider keeping one if they can ensure they are fully able to provide for them.

How long do African pygmy hedgehogs live as pets?

between 4 – 6 years
Many breeds of hedgehogs today are hybrids, the most well-known being the African pygmy hedgehog. The African pygmy hedgehog’s life expectancy is between 4 – 6 years on average, with proper care and healthy living conditions.

Do African pygmy hedgehogs live alone?

Do hedgehogs like to live in pairs? Hedgehogs are solitary creatures by nature so it is difficult for them to live in pairs. In the wild, they will lead their lives alone, with the only interruption for their solitary nature being mating, which will be very brief and then they’ll be back to their lives as a loner.

Do pygmy hedgehogs bite?

Do hedgehogs bite? Hedgehogs can bite if they feel threatened especially if they are startled. As they have poor eyesight, they will try to bite as a protective measure when they think they feel they are going to be attacked.

Are pygmy hedgehogs smelly?

Hedgehogs are naturally pretty odorless animals. This means if you remove any environmental factors, they’ll never make much of a stink. This isn’t to say you won’t smell anything if you get close to them, but we would never consider it a “bad” smell. Instead, it’s more of a comforting organic scent.

Why does my hedgehog hiss at me?

When a hedgehog hisses, it means he is really annoyed and wants you, other hogs or other animals to clear off. Hedgehogs will often make the hissing noise if their nest is disturbed or if they are cornered or approached by a predator.

Where can I find an African pygmy hedgehog?

The African pygmy hedgehog is the species of miniature hedgehog most commonly kept as a pet. Hedgehogs are not rodents, they are seventeen species of small animals in their own family. They can be found in Europe, Asia and Africa, and they are an invasive resident of New Zealand. Hedgehogs have coarse hair on…

How long does a pygmy hedgehog live for?

For a small animal, the lifespan is quite impressive, especially as other small animals like hamsters only live for 3 years at most with most surviving only 1.5 to 2 years. For your pygmy hedgehog to live as long as possible, you need to know how to take care of it properly.

How big of a cage do you need for an African hedgehog?

Housing the African Pygmy Hedgehog These solitary animals prefer to be housed alone and may fight if kept with other hedgehogs. They seem to tolerate different types of pets in the house. Active hedgehogs need room to explore; a bare minimum of two- to three-square-feet of cage space is sufficient (though bigger is always better).

What kind of diseases can pygmy hedgehogs get?

Obesity in pygmy hedgehogs can shorten their lives by introducing diseases like diabetes to serious cancers. With this in mind, it’s essential to ensure an eye is kept on their eating, exercising and obesity levels.

What is the life expectancy of a pygmy African hedgehog?

Life Expectancy The small, oval African pygmy hedgehogs can live approximately a decade in captivity, although their lives are often much shorter, lasting only four to six years. In the wild, their relatively short lives are often dabbled with multiple matings — these small guys will breed once or twice per year given the proper climatic

What to feed an African hedgehog?

They eat considerable amounts of insects of any kind, especially underground ones, such as: Earth worms Slugs Snails Small vertebrates

Where can you buy pygmy hedgehogs?

Where to Purchase. Hedgehogs can be found in limited pet stores, through brokers at flea markets or animal sales, or they can be purchased directly from breeders. When buying animals, I recommend that you check out the source.

What are African hedgehogs called?

African pygmy hedgehog being held. The most common pet species of hedgehog are hybrids of the white-bellied hedgehog or four-toed hedgehog ( Atelerix albiventris) and the North African hedgehog (A. algirus). It is smaller than the European hedgehog , and thus is sometimes called the African pygmy hedgehog.

The small, oval African pygmy hedgehogs can live approximately a decade in captivity, although their lives are often much shorter, lasting only four to six years.

Unlike many other pets, hedgehogs don’t have scent glands, so they don’t have an associated smell, meaning they don’t really stink. This means that they don’t have any particular scent, especially when they’re clean.