They are known for being timid little animals, but as any hedgehog owner will tell you, hedgehogs respond to their owner’s voice and appearance and are very interactive if socialized properly. In order to help facilitate this, you’ll want to make sure their environment is well-suited for activities. Lifespan: … Though most animals do not show clinical signs of disease, hedgehogs often have flaky skin, crusts, and spine loss when sick. Unlike most animals, it roots through hedges and other types of undergrowth looking for small creatures that comprise the bulk of its diet. A responsible breeder will use smart and ethical breeding practices to make sure their hedgehogs aren’t prone to health problems. Hedgehogs tend to have a habit of sticking their heads into tubes like toilet paper rolls and containers like yogurt cups, and getting them stuck on their heads. One of the most frequently cited reasons for people who give up a pet is, “It wasn’t what I expected.” This happens all too often with dogs and cats, and more unusual pets such as hedgehogs are no exception. In: Hedgehog Information, Pet Hedgehog, Wild Hedgehog. Moreover, while picking through these hedges, the animal makes a pig-like grunting sound hence its name, hedgehog. You would be surprised how beneficial it can be to look at everything through this lens. Even so, it is best to tweak the diet and experiment with different things to get the best diet plan for your hedgehog. Female hedgehogs are ready for breeding when they turn eight weeks old. Most pet hedgehogs will live between 4 to 6 years of age, but they can live as long as 10 years. Most owners will feed them a low-fat dry cat food supplemented … [Instructions] This is a virtual pet app where you can raise your very own Hedgehog on your smartphone. If you want to maximize your hedgehog’s lifespan, it is best to reconsider breeding. Do not just take it to the vet when it is sick but stick to routine appointments so that you can pick the early signs of disease. This means having ample space for play in the cage, buying an exercise wheel, and taking the hedgehog out of its cage periodically to play. Your hedgehog is exposed to bacteria, parasites, viruses, and other pathogens that impact its life in different ways. 2019-09-23. Getting a hedgehog from a reputable breeder doesn’t mean that they’re guaranteed to have a long lifespan. Hedgehog lifespans can be greatly influenced (positively or negatively) by the amount of activity they get on a daily basis. This not only helps them thrive physically but mentally as well. Toys will also give them something to fuss with and encourage movement as well. The content of this website is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Hedgehog Lifespan. Raise your own Hedgehog on your smartphone. Ensuring you monitor the health of your hedgehog is essential when aiming for its long life. There is an apparent difference between the answers to “How long do African pygmy hedgehogs live?” That is, in captivity, a healthy and happy hedgehog can reach 7-8 years of life. The hedgehog is so-named because of its unusual foraging methods. Fortunately, it is easy to pick the early signs of stress in a hedgehog. The following post will help you understand how long a hedgehog lives and what impacts its lifespan. Hedgehog Ville is small selective breeder located in the G.T.A Ontario, Canada. A nice spacious cage goes a long way too!eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'hedgehogworld_com-banner-1','ezslot_14',108,'0','0'])); Attention is another piece of the puzzle when it comes to their quality of life. Their diet mostly consists of insects but they have been known to eat plants and other animals if need be. 5 Best Cages for Hedgehogs – For Happy & Healthy Pets, 17 Species of Hedgehogs – All Hedgehog Types and Breeds. One feed per day is often enough for it. A hedgehog is a very active animal. Hibernation Is Life Threatening For Pet Hedgehogs. Stress will significantly shorten your hedgehog’s lifespan if left unchecked. Size: Five to eight inches long. Four to six years is a normal life span, but a pet hedgehog can live up to ten years. 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). There have been cases where pet hedgehogs have reached the 8-10 year range, but that’s rather uncommon. Your email address will not be published. Instead of only taking them to the vet when something goes really wrong, bring them in when you notice the small stuff.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'hedgehogworld_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_15',109,'0','0'])); This will help you prevent a little issue from turning into something serious, which can possibly impact your hedgehog’s lifespan. Nowadays, the animals are also popular pets because they are non-aggressive, quiet, curious, intelligent, and fairly clean. Responsible breeders use ethical and smart breeding techniques to ensure their animals are healthy. We produce different colourings ranging from Greys, Pintos, Snowflakes, Whites, Albinos but our main passion is producing unique faced hedgehogs such as Split-face, Half-Mask, White Face, Patch Eyes, etc. Hedgehog lifespan information is researched and asked about frequently among prospective owners. Yes, you can improve the chance that your hedgehog will live a long time by taking care of everything we listed above. VIVOPets.com does not intend to provide any kind of veterinary suggestion. However, small children should always be supervised since hedgehogs have such prickly exteriors! Feb 21, 2018 - How Long do Hedgehogs Live – It may come as a surprise to learn that hedgehogs are mammals that have been living in Southern Europe and Africa for millions of years. When you become a hedgehog owner, he/she becomes an important part of your life. In the wild, hedgehogs live to be around 2-3 years old. Some variables that affect the longevity of a pet hedgehog’s life are stress level, diet, disease/illness, genetics, quality of life, exercise, and veterinary care. As far as pets go, it is the African pygmy hedgehog that is the most popular. Popular pets because they are non-aggressive, quiet, curious, intelligent, and other animals if need be that. Naturally very active creatures that need a good amount of activity they get a... 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