Hello, This is duz🤗
Hedgehogs are one of the beloved pets of many people with their cute appearance and small size.
Today, let's take a look at the common sense you need to know before welcoming a cute hedgehog as a pet.😉
『Hedgehog Features』
Hedgehogs have a sensitive, timid personality and are nocturnal animals with excellent hearing and smell instead of having bad eyes 🦔
When you think of hedgehogs, the first thing that comes to mind will be thorns.
Hedgehogs have more than 10,000 thorns on their backs 😮
In fact, it is said that hedgehogs' hair has evolved like needles, and just like other animals molt, hedgehogs also molt.
The inside of this thorn is empty, so if you cut it carelessly, it can cause bacterial infection in the cut section. 😨
❌ Never cut it. ❌
『Hedgehog food』
Hedgehogs are omnivores and can eat fruits or insects 🦔
If you keep a hedgehog at home, you will pay for food and snacks together.
Hedgehogs should be fed with taurine-containing food. 😀
It is best to provide fodder for hedgehogs, but if cat food or dog food contains taurine, it is okay to temporarily mix and provide fodder.
Hedgehogs can be fed wheatworms or crickets as a snack because eating insects helps maintain vision 😊
Hedgehogs are omnivores, so they can eat what people eat, but ❌ Do not give food seasoned with seasonings because they are not good for hedgehogs. ❌
『Hedgehog life and reproduction』
The life span of hedgehogs in the wild is not as long as 2-5 years, but if the environment in which hedgehogs are raised is stress-free, they can live for 5-10 years. 🦔
However, hedgehogs are sensitive and timid, so they are easily exposed to stress 😥
In the case of raising it at home, the average life expectancy is around 5 years.
Obesity and nutritional imbalances caused by lack of exercise are the biggest reasons for hedgehogs' short lifespan.
Hedgehogs can reproduce when they are a year old.
Hedgehogs in the wild wake up from hibernation and breed between May and September.
When you become pregnant, it goes through a pregnancy period of about 35 to 40 days and gives birth to three to four cubs at a time. 🙂
『Hedgehog breeding supplies』
There are some items you need to grow hedgehogs.
The first is a kennel. 🦔
Hedgehogs are animals that are active alone in the wild except during the breeding season, and raising several in one space can cause stress, so it is recommended to set up one kennel for each hedgehog.
Second is flooring 🛏
When it comes to flooring, people usually think of sawdust, which raises small animals.
In the case of hedgehogs, there is a lot of space between the thorns on your back, so you have to lay a cloth type of flooring material to prevent dust from getting stuck there.
Also, since your sense of smell has developed, you should use flooring that does not contain artificial scents.
The third is the hedgehog's house. 🏠
Hedgehogs are timid and sensitive animals and need a comfortable space to rest, so you need to provide a space for hedgehogs to rest comfortably in the kennel.
Finally, it's a wheel. 🎡
You need to put in a sieve for the hedgehog's exercise.
For hedgehogs with advanced hearing, you should choose a small noise wheel, and the wheel should be a product with a diameter of 30cm or more for hedgehogs.
Also, hedgehogs defecate while turning the wheel, so it would be better to choose a product that is easy to clean.
『Anting the Hedgehog』
Hedgehogs' anting is when they turn and lick their spiny body with their tongue. 🦔
It's not like the act of winding yourself up to protect yourself.
There are many theories about why hedgehogs do anting.
《The reason hedgehogs don't do that ❓》
It can be grooming by licking one's own fur with your tongue like a cat, or it can be done to cover your body with a new smell to protect it, or it can be done to attract other hedgehogs.
Also, it is often done when you smell new or irritating odors.
However, it is not known exactly why hedgehogs do anting.
So far, we have looked into the characteristics of hedgehogs and the basic common sense needed to grow them, such as food and lifespan.
I hope it helped those who are interested in hedgehogs or those who are raising them 😌
I'll come back with a helpful post next time 💙