Boring: Hedgehog

The most common species of domesticated hedgehog is the African Pygmy hedgehog, a hybrid of the White-bellied or Four-toed Hedgehog and the Algerian Hedgehog.

There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to North America; those in New Zealand are introduced.

Members of the family Erinaceidae , which includes 7 genera and 19 species of medium-to large-size animals generally characterized by spines on their back and sides.

Commonly, this is replaced with cat food and ferret food and is supplemented by insects and other small animals.

In the wild they eat a diet of mainly insects, but pet owners generally prefer a diet composed primarily of high protein low fat high quality cat food, with regular treats such as mealworms, fruits, vegetables, and cooked unseasoned meats.

Their spines are not poisonous or barbed and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, cannot easily be removed from the animal.

The most common pet species of hedgehog are hybrids of the White-bellied Hedgehog or Four-toed Hedgehog and the North African Hedgehog.

Hedgehogs are not related to hogs, but they root in the ground for food in the manner of hogs.

A hedgehog is any of the small spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha.

This family, however, is subdivided into two subfamilies, the spiny hedgehog group which includes the European hedgehog ; and the hairy hedgehog or gymnuras, long-tailed species which lack spines.

There are prepared foods specifically for pet hedgehogs and insectivores, including foods made from insect components.

This results in a different number of predators for different species: while forest hedgehogs have relatively few, primarily birds and ferrets, smaller species like the Long-eared Hedgehog are preyed on by foxes, wolves and mongooses.

They are occasionally threatened by these animals, though, but for those rare instances, the hedgehogs just roll into a ball until the threat is gone.

These include cancer, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease.

Dog and cat food are better than dairy, but both are often too high in fat and too low in protein.

Therefore, it is common throughout the United Kingdom to see people attempting to lure hedgehogs into their gardens with treats and hedgehog-sized holes in their fences.

This causes many hedgehog deaths where pet hedgehogs eat contaminated bugs within the house.

The common pet hedgehog can however have a small portion of cottage cheese as a dietary supplement.

Cages with wired floors are dangerous for hedgehogs because they can easily slip and get a limb caught in the wire.

The quills were used in the training of other animals, such as keeping a calf from suckling after it had been weaned.

The nine species of spiny hedgehogs have short, barbless spines on the back, a round body, small head, pointed face, and little or no tail.

In areas that have hedgehogs in the wild, they are often welcomed as a natural form of garden pest control.

Wobbly-hedgehog syndrome is possibly a genetic disease similar to multiple sclerosis, though this is not yet proven.

Since domestication began, several new colours of hedgehogs have been created or become common, including albino and pinto hedgehogs.

These include cancer, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and wobbly hedgehog syndrome.

It is common throughout the United Kingdom to see people attempting to lure hedgehogs into their gardens with treats and hedgehog-sized holes in their fences.

Other species kept as pets are the Long-eared Hedgehog and the Indian Long-eared Hedgehog.

There are 16 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand.

Cedar and pine bedding have wood oils that are dangerous to hedgehogs and can cause lung issues and even sores.

Some hedgehogs refuse to run in a wheel, so other forms of exercise must be substituted.