🦔 Reading a hedgehog
Is My Hedgehog Happy?
Quills down is the whole answer, most of the time.
Quills are the main signal
A hedgehog's quills are controlled by muscles and their position is the clearest indicator of its state.
- Flat and smooth, lying backwards — relaxed. You can run a hand along the back comfortably. This is the state you are aiming for.
- Raised over the forehead only — mild alarm or uncertainty. The visor goes up first.
- Raised all over, body tense — frightened or annoyed.
- Fully balled with quills erect and jerking — a defensive hedgehog doing the only thing it has. The jerking motion is an active defence, not a tremble.
The sounds
- Huffing and puffing — irritation or warning, usually with raised quills. Common in a hedgehog that has been woken.
- Hissing — a stronger warning. Back off.
- Snuffling and soft snorting — exploring and content. A hedgehog pottering around snuffling is a happy hedgehog.
- Purring or a soft chuffing — contentment, usually while eating or being gently stroked.
- Clicking or popping — an agitated warning, sometimes between hedgehogs.
- Screaming — a loud, distressing cry indicating serious pain or terror. Investigate immediately.
What a content hedgehog does
Active at night — they are nocturnal, and a hedgehog that is lively in the evening and sleeping during the day is on schedule. Running on the wheel, often for long distances. Exploring, snuffling, digging in bedding, and anointing at new smells.
Eating well and maintaining a steady weight. Unballing within a reasonable time when picked up, and eventually relaxing enough to walk around on you.
What worries: lethargy, not eating, a hedgehog that is cold to the touch and sluggish, weight loss, wobbling or dragging the back legs, and persistent balling in a hedgehog that was previously handleable.
The things that most affect a pet hedgehog’s welfare
Temperature. The single biggest issue. African pygmy hedgehogs are a warm-climate species and need around 22–26°C consistently. Below that they attempt hibernation, which they are not physiologically equipped for and which can be fatal. Use a thermostat-controlled heat source and a thermometer, not guesswork.
A proper wheel. Hedgehogs run several kilometres a night in the wild. The wheel must be large — at least 30cm — with a solid running surface, never mesh or rungs, which cause serious foot injuries.
Space. Far more than they are usually sold with. A minimum of around 0.75 square metres of floor space, and more is better.
Solitude. African pygmy hedgehogs are solitary and must be housed alone. Keeping two together causes fighting and chronic stress.
Handling, regularly and gently. Hedgehogs that are not handled become increasingly defensive. Short, daily, calm sessions — ideally in the evening when they are naturally awake — make the difference between a handleable animal and a permanently balled one.
Quick answers
Why does my hedgehog huff at me every time?
Usually because it has been woken. Hedgehogs are nocturnal and being disturbed during the day produces a defensive response. Handle in the evening and the reception is generally better.
What temperature does a pet hedgehog need?
Around 22–26°C consistently for African pygmy hedgehogs. Below that they attempt hibernation, which they are not equipped for and which can be fatal.
Can two hedgehogs live together?
African pygmy hedgehogs are solitary and should be housed alone. Keeping them together leads to fighting and chronic stress.