The African pygmy hedgehog, also known as white-bellied hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), originates from northern and central Africa, extending naturally from the southern Sahara and Congo to Senegal and the great lakes of North Africa. However, its popularity as a pet in the 1990s has meant that we can also find specimens of the African pygmy hedgehog in Europe, Asia and some areas of Latin America. Due precisely to this boom experienced by the hedgehog as a pet, hybrids between the white-bellied hedgehog and the smaller Moorish hedgehog also began to be marketed. However, currently the African pygmy hedgehog has been listed as a species at low risk of extinction by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and, therefore, the export of this species from its country of origin is totally prohibited.
Physical appearance of the African pygmy hedgehog
The African pygmy hedgehog is a small mammal that measures between 15 and 20 centimeters long, and 8 or 10 cm high. As with other species, once they reach adulthood, hedgehogs vary their weight depending on their sex. In this way, male white-bellied hedgehogs usually weigh between 500 and 600 grams, while females range between 300-400 g. The rest of the physical characteristics are the same for both, so this and the genital area are the only differences between them.
The limbs of the African pygmy hedgehog are so short that when the animal is in motion it is really difficult to see them. On the front legs it has a total of five toes, while on the back it only has four. Its limbs are perfectly designed to make the white-bellied hedgehog an excellent climber, swimmer, and burrower. Despite its small size, it is a very agile and fast animal, even capable of trotting. However, the most outstanding characteristic of this type of African hedgehog is Its belly covered with a soft, white layer of fur Its face is also usually the white of base, on which he presents a mask very similar to that of the raccoon. Its snout and nose are pointed and brown in color, its eyes are dark, and its ears are rounded and smaller than its quills.
Although when thinking of the hedgehog an animal completely full of quills comes to mind, as we mentioned, the African pygmy hedgehog only presents them in the upper part of its body, and can reach up to 5.000. The spikes are usually between two and three centimeters long, are made of keratin and are not sharp, so they do not hurt when touched. The mantle of spikes usually rests close to the body of the hedgehog, if you see it raised it means that the animal feels threatened and has adopted a defensive attitude.
Because the African pygmy hedgehog has been subjected to controlled breeding to domesticate it, today there is a variety of colors. In this way, although the most common color pattern is s alt and pepper, we can differentiate between the following patterns:
- Chocolate – Without a face mask, the Chocolate Hedgehog features quills mixed with this shade of brown and cream.
- Cinnamon color: the cinnamon colored hedgehog does have a facial mask but in light tones instead of dark, and may even have pink nose instead of black. Picks are usually cream and light brown.
- Cream: Hedgehogs with this pattern often have red rather than dark eyes, cream-colored quills, and they do not have a mask.
- Snowflake: Hedgehogs with this color pattern can be completely white, except for the snout, or have 80 % of its quills white and the rest slightly darker.
- Panda: With dark face mask, eyes and snout, and mostly white quills.
- Albino: like all albino animals, the hedgehog with this feature is completely white, has red eyes (lighter than the cream-colored hedgehog) and pink snout.
African Pygmy Hedgehog Character
One of the most outstanding peculiarities of the white-bellied hedgehog is that it has the ability to roll itself up into a ball of spikes with its body when it feels threatened. He does this for self-defense and can spend hours in this position. The hedgehog is a scary and shy animal at first, until it has completely adapted to its new human environment it does not appear trusting, sociable, playful, calm And very sweet. They are not usually aggressive animals, unless they feel threatened and come to bite, jump and emit a sound very similar to a snort.
The African pygmy hedgehog is a nervous, active and solitary animal, although it can live with other hedgehogs without problems. And if you want to prevent them from breeding, you can also have two specimens of the same sex. It adapts to the environment and people of any age as long as it is treated with respect and its new owner gives it the time it needs to do so. Hedgehogs do not have a highly developed vision, so they are guided by smell and hearing. In this way, if you have just adopted a hedgehog and you want it to stop fearing you, you should let it smell you so that it recognizes your scent and becomes familiar with it. Therefore, it is not recommended that the owner is constantly changing the perfume and trying to always keep the same smell.
Before proceeding to pet or pick up an African pygmy hedgehog, you must bear in mind its skittish nature, so you will have to let it smell you first by bringing your hands very carefully to its snout. When he recognizes you and feels safe, then you can also pick him up carefully, without sudden movements and, preferably, with one hand on each side of his body but without leaving your fingers between the spikes. In general, white-bellied hedgehogs don't usually like to have their quills stroked, so avoid doing so at first. As the animal adapts to you and is confident, it will be he who tells you if you can do it. Let him explore both the home and your hands, arms and legs so that he gets used to and learns to trust his new family. Once adapted, he will let you pet him, pick him up and play with him.
The white-bellied hedgehog can live perfectly with other animals larger than itself, such as dogs and cats, since if they are well-balanced and well-socialized animals, it is most likely to ignore their presence. Its coexistence with ferrets is not recommended due to the possibility of becoming its new prey, nor with hamsters or rodents smaller than it because then the hedgehog would become the attacker.
White bellied hedgehog care
The African pygmy hedgehog does not require great or exceptional care. It is a very clean animal, which cleans itself and does not give off an unpleasant body odour, so it will not be necessary to bathe it. If you want to do it, it should be every three months, using a neutral pH shampoo and warm water. After finishing the bath, we will have to dry it very well. As he is an excellent swimmer, what we can offer him from time to time is warm water baths just for him to swim and exercise, drying him very well when finished.
As we mentioned in the previous section that it is a very nervous and mobile animal, the white-bellied hedgehog likes to walk a lot, so it will need a cage with enough space to move andadd an exercise wheel The minimum dimensions that the hedgehog cage must have is 1 m2 wide by 50 cm high. In addition to the wheel, his cage should have a burrow or shelter with hay to hide in when he needs it or sleep, a feeder that he can't knock over, and a bottle drinker. The substrate can be untreated wood chips or crushed corn. They require a temperature of between 25 and 30 degrees, and prefer dimly lit environments. If the ideal temperature is not reached, a heat source can be placed near the cage to balance it and offer the animal the best conditions. On the other hand, it is recommended that the ambient humidity be less than 40%.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, so during the day they will spend most of their time sleeping in their burrow. In this way, it is very important to offer the hedgehog a comfortable, dark and safe refuge. As for the feeding of the hedgehog, the most suitable thing is to acquire specific feed for hedgehogs or insectivorous animals and offer it during the afternoon. If you can't find it, you can substitute high-quality dry cat food for seniors. In a complementary way, you can give the hedgehog fruits, vegetables, eggs and chicken, since although it is an insectivorous animal, it follows an omnivorous diet. For fruits and vegetables we can offer you pieces of strawberries, oranges, apples, pears, bananas, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli or lettuce. All this previously washed and well chopped, always in very small quantities and without exceeding 20% of their daily diet. In addition, it is essential to offer the hedgehog live food, opting for crickets, mealworms and earthworms. The ideal is not to exceed 10 pieces of live food per day, since they should not occupy the base of their diet either. Also, especially mealworms have a high fat content, so controlling the amount is vital to keep the he alth of the hedgehog in perfect condition.
In addition to offering it a cage in good conditions and providing it with adequate food, basic care for the hedgehog also includes maintenance of its nails and teeth. In this way, it is recommended to go to a specialist so that he or she can cut the hedgehog's nails and check its teeth.
African Pygmy Hedgehog He alth
Like any other pet, the white-bellied hedgehog should go to the vet regularly to be examined. Being a sensitive animal, it is highly susceptible to a series of pathologies that must be kept in mind to be alert and identify them in time. The most common diseases in hedgehogs are the following:
- Respiratory diseases. If the aforementioned ideal temperature is not met, the hedgehog may suffer from pneumonia, laryngitis or rhinitis.
- Skin diseases. Occasionally you may experience dry skin that may be due to temperature problems or other pathologies, the most common being the presence of mites, fungi or allergies.
- Eye Diseases. Although they are less common in hedgehogs, they can also develop cataracts or glaucomas.
- Cardiovascular diseases. Among all, the most common among African pygmy hedgehogs is cardiomyopathy.
- Digestive diseases Like most animals, hedgehogs can also have disorders such as diarrhea and vomiting. Likewise, constipation and gastrointestinal obstruction due to the ingestion of a toy or other object are also common.
If you don't let your hedgehog out of its cage all day, it will most likely end up showing stress or anxietyand become a very unhappy animal. For this reason, it is very important to dedicate a large part of the time to its care, letting it go out to run and walk. In the event of apathy, loss of appetite, excessive drop of quills, vomiting, diarrhea or any other symptom, go to the veterinarian immediately to have the animal examined and determine if you suffer from any of the above diseases.
