African Mini Hedgehog, also known as African pygmy hedgehog, is native to Africa. They have a gentle temperament and a slender body shape. They can be collected in teapots and egg cups. They generally do not cause skin allergies and have a nocturnal lifestyle.
In order to raise African Mini Hedgehogs, they need to be housed in an environment above 21 degrees Celsius and should not be kept in an iron cage due to their climbing ability. They are prone to health problems such as poor gastrointestinal function, fatty liver disease, and heart disease. Their lifespan is generally 3 to 8 years, but if they develop a paralyzed condition called "Hedgehog Wobbly Syndrome," they will be at risk of death.
African Mini Hedgehogs are widely distributed in northern Africa and inhabit deserts and arid grasslands. They are usually solitary animals with a timid nature, often hiding during the day and coming out at night to feed on small insects and invertebrates in the wild. Due to their small size, they have a small appetite. When they sense danger, they immediately curl up into a ball and use their spines to protect themselves.
Suggested for hedgehog lovers to raise. Hedgehogs belong to the mammalian order insectivores and are omnivorous. Cat and dog food can be used as the main food for artificial feeding, and mixing the two is also a good choice. However, the nutritional composition of kitten and puppy food is relatively high for hedgehogs.
1. Gastroenteritis: Although it is a minor illness, it can be fatal to hedgehogs. Hedgehogs with gastroenteritis have dull quills, weak movement, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. At this time, reduce the feeding amount, feed with tetracycline, crush one tablet and mix it into the feed, feed three times a day. You can also inject kanamycin, inject 25,000 units into the gluteal muscle each time, but generally civilians cannot do it properly.
2. Tinea: Shedding of white scales is a symptom of tinea. You can externally apply tinea cream, Fuling Song, etc. You can also soak cigarette shreds in vinegar for 24 hours, then add insecticide (crushed and mixed) and apply it to the affected area, but it is not recommended to use the latter.
3. Ascariasis: Hedgehogs with poor appetite and weakness may have ingested something unclean and developed roundworms in their stomachs. At this time, you can feed them Ascariasis Purifier, feed twice a day, one tablet each time, for two consecutive days. For hedgehogs without ascariasis, they should also be dewormed twice a year to ensure their healthy growth.
To maintain the good appetite of the hedgehog, it can be fed with insects, fruits and vegetables, or cooked meat and eggs. This can satisfy its diverse diet. Insects such as mealworms, mealworm beetles, and crickets can be chosen. In addition, hedgehogs also like snails and earthworms... However, hedgehogs have a magical habit. Once they taste food they have never eaten before, they will chew it, mix it with saliva, and rub it on their spines. Therefore, please consider whether to feed them or not. Although hedgehogs eat everything, it is forbidden to feed them food containing salt, sugar, seasoning, onions, peppers, celery, citrus fruits, etc... In short, it is not advisable to feed baby hedgehogs with stimulating and heavily scented food.
You don't have to bathe hedgehogs because they cannot be cleaned. Hedgehogs smear their spines by licking themselves, similar to how cats groom their fur. When smearing their spines, the hedgehog's mouth will produce white bubbles. After smearing, there will be some white foam left between the spines and the skin because of the special structure of the spines, which is difficult to completely remove. In addition, hedgehogs smear their spines to record and cover the scent of their environment. Even if you bathe the hedgehog, it will still smear its spines. This is its physiological behavior, so bathing is unnecessary.
Hedgehogs usually clean themselves, so bathing is not necessary too frequently. Usually once a week is enough, and once a month is preferable when the temperature is very low.
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