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Can Hedgehogs Really Be Domesticated
When most people think of hedgehogs, they do not think of domesticated pets. Instead, they picture wild animals, foraging in the woods…or in the trash. The good news is that there are breeds of hedgehogs that are smaller than the hedgehogs that you see in the wild, and they are not only domesticated, they actually could not survive in the wild.
The most common type of domesticated hedgehog is the African hedgehog, often referred to as the African Pygmy Hedgehog, even though he isn’t actually a pygmy breed. The African Pygmy Hedgehog is actually a hybrid of different breeds of hedgehogs, most commonly the Algerian Hedgehog and the White-Bellied Hedgehog. This makes the African Pygmy much smaller than all other breeds of hedgehogs.
These types of hedgehogs have been domesticated since the 1980s. Because they have not been domesticated for an extremely long period of time, many people don’t even realize that there is a domestic breed of hedgehogs. Furthermore, those that do realize that there is a domestic breed of hedgehogs fail to realize that while this breed could not survive in the wild, they still possess many of the behavior and traits that the wild hedgehogs have, because it is inherited, and it has not been bred out of them…not that we want to do that.
While there are many similarities, such as the desire to hide and the ability to roll into a ball and stick their quills up for protection, between wild hedgehogs and domesticated hedgehogs, there are also many differences now. For example, wild hedgehogs do hibernate, while domesticated hedgehogs must avoid hibernation, simply because they cannot survive it.
Instead, a domesticated hedgehog must reside in temperatures between 72 and 85 degrees. Wild hedgehogs survive by feeding on insects and plant life. Domesticated hedgehogs still have the same dietary requirements, but do quite well on high quality cat food, with supplements of canned worms purchased at local pet stores. Domesticated hedgehogs also enjoy fruit, vegetables, and cooked meats.
Wild hedgehogs do not enjoy the company of people, and are very wary of them. Domesticated hedgehogs, however, are handled from birth, and actually enjoy human company. In fact, one could go so far as to say that domesticated hedgehogs require human company, since they are not bred to survive in the wild.
Hedgehogs make the list of exotic pets today, although in some states, it is not legal to own a hedgehog. In other states, it is legal to own one, but not legal to sell them. In most states, however, you can own and sell hedgehogs. With that said, however, a hedgehog breeder is required to register with the USDA.
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Next Article: Connecting With Other Hedgehog Owners
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