Hedgehogs are nice to almost everyone. Its habitat includes Europe, Asia and Africa. There are different species and some are suitable as pets, such as the African pygmy hedgehog. Others, native to different territories, such as the common hedgehog or the Moorish hedgehog in Spain, are prohibited from being kept and can only be found in the wild.
If you have decided to live with a hedgehog or have found one and take care of it until it is transferred to a specialized center, in this article on our site we explain what hedgehogs eat.
Nutritional needs of hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are mammalian animals with high energy needs. This leads them to have to eat large amounts of food to sustain themselves. For this reason, many species hibernate when weather conditions make it difficult to obtain food resources.
The basis of the hedgehog's diet is made up of proteins of animal origin The rest is made up, in a smaller percentage, of carbohydrates carbon, fiber, vitamins and minerals. As a guide, these would be the most appropriate percentages to make up the menu:
- Maximum 35% protein of animal origin and ideally €22.
- Maximum 15% fat and ideally 5%, otherwise it would accumulate.
- At least 2% fiber, ideally 15%.
Below, we review what hedgehogs eat to make the most suitable menu taking into account these proportions.
What do wild hedgehogs eat?
In their natural habitat, hedgehogs come out at dusk to forage. Some are capable of traveling enormous distances at night. They eat considerable amounts of insects of any kind, especially underground ones, such as:
- Earthworms.
- Slugs.
- Snails.
- Small Vertebrates.
They are also capable of attacking and consuming snakes and they don't disdain eggs and even baby birds if they get the chance. In addition, they can eat seeds and fruits.
In general terms, they are appreciated for the insect control they carry out thanks to their diet. Knowing what hedgehogs eat, when we take care of one of these specimens at home, it is important that we try to reproduce as much as possible the diet that is natural for them.
What do domestic hedgehogs eat?
It is quite common for hedgehogs kept in the home to be fed with food for cats It is an option, since both the I think how the cans formulated for these felines have a composition that is quite similar to the correct diet for a hedgehog. On the other hand, feed for dogs or ferrets is useless, as it does not adapt as much to the nutritional needs of the hedgehog.
But for cat food to be suitable, you must choose quality, with a high percentage of animal protein and low in fat. We must check their composition on the label, since not all of them meet these criteria. Just give it a couple of tablespoons a day.
There are also some foods specially prepared for hedgehogs for sale They would be the best option as they are formulated to cover all their nutritional needs, but You also have to check the label, because not all of them have the quality they should.
Natural food for hedgehogs
The menu can be completed with insects, which can be purchased alive, dead or dehydrated in specialized stores. You can give them insects such as crickets, grasshoppers or tenebrio or mealworm 3-4 times a week It is not a good idea to offer them any that we find on the street, as they are sometimes contaminated with pesticides or carry parasites. There are also common foods in our pantries that are suitable for hedgehogs, such as meats, fruits or vegetables, of which you can have half a spoonful of dessert a day. These are some examples:
- Chicken, turkey, or pork cooked without s alt or sauces.
- Salmon, tuna or horse mackerel, cooked like meat and without bones.
- Boiled or scrambled eggs, better only the white and for occasional consumption.
- Apple, peach, pear, banana, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, or mango, pulp only, no seeds or peels.
- Carrots, potatoes or cooked vegetables.
Prohibited foods for hedgehogs
On the other hand, among the basic care of a hedgehog is knowing what foods cannot be provided, which are:
- Citrus or acidic foods, as they can cause digestive discomfort and irritation in the mouth.
- Nuts or seeds, since you can choke on them and they are difficult to digest.
- Grapes or raisins, as they are toxic to hedgehogs. The same happens with avocado, onion or garlic.
- Cereals such as corn, oats, rice or wheat.
- Dairy, because they do not tolerate lactose, although they can consume organic yogurt or cottage cheese.
- Mushrooms.
- Of course, the diet cannot contain sweets, alcohol, caffeine or junk food.
If you have the company of a domestic hedgehog, we encourage you to watch the following video on our site, where we explain the care of these small animals, including their diet.
What do baby hedgehogs eat?
As mammals, the first food of baby hedgehogs is Breast milkIf they are with their mother, she will It will be in charge of feeding them and providing them with all the care. We don't have to intervene. On the other hand, if they are orphaned hedgehogs, we will have to raise them artificially using one of the milks formulated for kittens Approximately until they are six weeks old they will consume only milk, but by five o'clock they will begin to taste the same foods that we offer their mother.
In the case of giving them feed, we can add water to form a porridge that they assimilate better at first. If we are raising them ourselves, it is a good idea to make the porridge with the milk and start giving it to them in the bottle. Little by little we will leave more solid fragments to encourage the transition from liquid to solid diet. Once weaned, until they are six months old they must have food available 24 hours a day
And if your hedgehog is a newborn, the following article on Newborn Hedgehog Care may be helpful.
