African Pygmy Hedgehog

Coat and looks how to spot one

Spines on the back, soft fur on face and belly

A small, oval, low-slung animal on short legs, with a pointed snout, small dark eyes, rounded ears and a stubby tail of about 2.5 cm. The back is covered in spines, which are hollow hairs stiffened with keratin; they are not barbed and stay firmly attached. In the natural colouring the spines are brown or grey with cream or white tips, while the face and underside carry soft white fur. As the name says, most have only four toes on each hind foot. When alarmed it tightens a band of muscle to curl into a spiky ball that tucks the head and legs inside.123

Personality what they are like

A solitary night-time forager that likes to tuck itself away during the day. It relies heavily on its excellent sense of smell and hearing, and meets new scents with the curious ritual of self-anointing. Its first instinct when unsure is to roll up rather than run, but hedgehogs handled regularly from a young age often become relaxed and engaging pets. Show judges give temperament the most weight of any category.2659

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Very active at night: wild ones cover several kilometres while foraging, and pets can run upwards of 8 km a night on a wheel. A solid-surface wheel (no rungs or mesh) about 30 cm across is strongly recommended, along with hides, tunnels and areas of deeper bedding to dig in.1284

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Young hedgehogs replace their baby spines with adult ones in a normal process called quilling. Weigh the hedgehog weekly to keep an eye on body condition, keep the enclosure clean and the bedding dry, and handle it regularly so it stays used to people.345

Home where they are happiest

A secure, well-ventilated enclosure with smooth walls and a solid floor, at least 0.6 x 0.9 m of floor space; large plastic tubs or single-level cages work, while glass tanks are usually too poorly ventilated. Hedgehogs are good escape artists, so a lid helps. Use soft, absorbent bedding such as recycled paper, aspen shavings or hay, at least 8-10 cm deep in places for burrowing, and always provide a hide. As a warm-climate species it needs about 22-32 C (24-29 C is ideal), low humidity, around 12 hours of light a day, and a spot out of direct sunlight.458

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Mainly an insect eater that also takes snails, slugs, a little plant matter and the odd small vertebrate in the wild. In a home, feed a complete commercial hedgehog or insectivore food (a good-quality cat food is an accepted alternative) once a day in the evening, roughly 3-4 teaspoons depending on size and activity. Add gut-loaded live insects a few times a week and small amounts of vegetables and fruit. Avoid raw meat, raw eggs and milk products, and always provide fresh water.45681

Company who they like around

Naturally solitary, so each hedgehog should have its own enclosure. Its social life is with its owner: short, calm handling sessions in the evening help it stay tame.452

The story where it all began

People have kept hedgehogs for a long time: the Romans raised a relative of the Algerian hedgehog from around the 4th century BCE. The modern pet hedgehog story starts in the early 1980s, when African hedgehogs began arriving in the United States. They boomed as pets in the early 1990s, first sold as a pricey novelty and investment; as breeding spread, prices fell and they became an everyday exotic pet. Pet stock is now bred in captivity rather than taken from the wild, and is commonly described as a blend of the four-toed and North African (Algerian) hedgehogs, both of which go by the name 'pygmy hedgehog'. Enthusiasts formed clubs and shows, the International Hedgehog Registry began recording pedigrees in 1997 and joined the International Hedgehog Association in 2002, and selective breeding has produced dozens of colours such as albino, cinnamon and pinto. Keeping rules vary by place, and some jurisdictions restrict or ban pet hedgehogs.8691310

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Wild species assessed as Least Concern.2

International Hedgehog Association (USA)

Runs pet hedgehog shows judged on a 100-point system weighted towards temperament (33 points), form (25) and colour (18); shows usually have seven colour classes. In 2002 it took over the International Hedgehog Registry, a pedigree registry founded in 1997.9

International Hedgehog Registry

Pedigree registry for pet hedgehogs, founded 1997 and acquired by the International Hedgehog Association in 2002.10