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Pygmy Hedgehog

The African Pygmy hedgehog is the most common of domesticated hedgehogs, they are much smaller than their European Hedgehog relatives, produced from the crossing of a White bellied (four-toed) hedgehog and the Algerian hedgehog, the pygmy hedgehog has become very popular as a pet and although they can have a friendly relationship with humans they do tend to retain much of their natural wild behavioral instincts, especially their fear and timidity.

The pygmy hedgehog needs to be trained to be kept as a pet so that they can overcome their natural fear of humans, the word trained is something of a misnomer when applied to a pygmy hedgehog, what is really meant is that you have to overcome its fear and timidity. This can be done simply by spending time with the creature regularly each day until it comes to realise that you are not a threat to it.

At first your pygmy hedgehog will probably just curl up into a ball when handled, it may do this for several days on being first picked up but gradually it will unroll itself to explore, once it realises that there is no threat or it becomes accustomed to the handler's smell it will feel more comfortable in allowing itself to be petted.

Another trick to use in training a pygmy hedgehog, although this can be applied to practically any creature, is to have a titbit or food snack to hand so that when the hedgehog decides to explore it will come to understand that the handler is a source of food and so hopefully will lose some of its fear.

No matter how comfortable the hedgehog is with the handler, any sudden movement will cause it to instinctively curl up into a ball, the more fear it has, the longer it will remain curled up. As with most creatures, animal and human, loud noises will cause alarm also.

Hedgehogs very rarely display any sign of aggressive behavior and are not known to bite either through aggression or fright, in fact when ever they become afraid their first instinct is to curl up into a ball for safety. They are not amongst the most macho of creatures in the animal world.

Pygmy hedgehog diet

The pygmy hedgehog is a natural scavenger and as such will eat many different foods, but the majority of its diet comprises of insects. There are prepared foods specifically for pet hedgehogs available from pet stores but hedgehog owners generally prefer a diet composed primarily of dry cat-food mixed with mealworms, fruit and vegetables.

Other ingredients can include, cooked lean chicken, turkey, beef and pork, although care should be taken when feeding such foods as the fat content can lead to weight problems. High sugar content foods should be avoided as should all dairy products.

Other foods to avoid feeding pygmy hedgehogs include, nuts, grapes, onions, chocolate, raw meat and egg yolk, as with most animals it is always wise to adhere as closely as possible to foods that would be normally available in the creatures natural habitat, of course with many exotic animals imported into countries where their natural food source is not available alternatives have to be found or purchased. Most good pet shops will offer a range of pre-packed foodstuffs for a wide range of pets, canned or frozen mealworms, crickets and waxworms are usually readily available, although these should be used as part of the diet rather than solely as the hedgehogs' main source of food.

Exercise for a pygmy hedgehog

In the wild the pygmy hedgehog will travel many miles each night whilst foraging for food, so it makes sense that any cage or enclosure should be as spacious as possible. Hedgehogs can suffer from depression brought on by lack of space, sure signs of this are excessive sleeping and lack of appetite, another problem related to space also to be aware of is weight gain. The lack of space for exercise can cause swift weight gain which in turn can, and often does, lead to liver problems.

Pygmy hedgehogs love to play and an ideal toy for them which is also a great way for them to exercise is a running wheel, just like a hamster's. They will spend hours running without getting bored. In fact many of the toys or play cages that are designed for hamsters will be perfectly suitable, but ensure that the tunnels are of the widest size available so that the hedgehog does not become stuck.

Pygmy hedgehogs are quite inquisitive by nature and like nothing better than rummaging around and exploring, so with that in mind, purchase a cage with several different levels that will provide plenty of opportunity for your hedgehog to wander around.

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