Hedgehog

Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are small animals that root for food under and in hedges or bushes.  While looking for food they make snorting sounds like tiny pigs.  Hence the name "hedgehog"   The young are born live like most mammals are.  They come in a litter of 8-10 or so babies and they only stay with their mother for about a months then they can go off on their own.  Hedgehogs are native to the old world.  So they are found in Asia, Europe, and Africa.  There are 17 different species.  They were also introduced to New Zealand. 

Hedgehogs are omnivores.  They feed on insects, mushrooms, frogs, toads, snakes, berries, grass, roots, melons, and even carrion.  Carrion is dead animals.  Hedgehogs are NOT rodents as some people think.  They are in Order:  Erinaceomorpha, not Order:  Rodentia.  They have spiny hair adapted into quills for defense.  But they do not have poison on their quills.

Or neighbor has a hedgehog pet and she brought it over today.  This drawing is from the photo of that hedgehog.  His name is Quill and my wife is holding him in the photo.  He is an African Pygmie Hedgehog.  He eats small insects like crickets, meal worms etc.  You have to watch their diet and keep it high protein and low fat.  They can only have treats like watermelon or banana a few times a week.  This hedgehog is about 3/4 grown.  He has doubled his size in three weeks.  When our neighbor first got him he weighed only 1.6 oz 45 grams.

Quill the Hedgehog