Not a garden hedgehog
It is a different animal from the wild hedgehog of British gardens, which is protected and must never be kept as a pet.
Rabbits and friends · For experienced keepers
African pygmy hedgehog
A cross of two African hedgehogs
A small hedgehog with white-tipped spines, a pale face and belly, a pointed snout and beady eyes.
- Size
- 15 to 20cm long
- Lives for
- 4 to 6 years
- Suits
- Quiet adults who are awake in the evening
Snuffles after you, and curls up if you rush it. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the pygmy hedgehog
Five thousand spines
It has about five thousand spines. Each one lasts a year or so, then falls out and is replaced.
It covers itself in froth
When it meets a new smell it chews, makes a foam and spreads it over its spines. Nobody knows why.
A ball of spikes
When worried it rolls into a tight ball and huffs.
It must be kept warm
It needs a room at around 23 to 25 degrees. If it gets cold it tries to hibernate, which can kill it.
A night runner
It runs miles on its wheel in the night.
The real thing
Photos of the pygmy hedgehog
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
Looking after one
It needs a large heated enclosure, a solid wheel, hiding places and a diet of special food and insects. It lives alone and is awake only at night.
Before you get one
This is a specialist pet. It is shy, prickly, nocturnal and needs a heated home, and vets who know the species are few.
Keep going