What Do Hedgehogs Eat?

Hedgehog Facts

• Hedgehogs were "first mammals"; they evolved very early in the time that mammals became a presence on earth, and the fossil record demonstrates that they have changed little in the past 15 million years. Like most of their mammalian kin from that era, they are both nocturnal and insectivorous. In the wild, most species sleep their days away under rocks or in a hole they find in the ground. In regions where there are winters, they dig a den for themselves in which they hibernate; this is as much a reaction to the diminished availability of food as it is to temperature, and hedgehogs kept as pets do not hibernate.

Feeding Wild Hedgehogs

• Many country and rural people encourage wild hedgehogs onto their property to control pest insects; to mimic their natural diet, foods left out overnight to attract wild hedgehogs must be high in protein, not carbohydrate or fat. The practice of feeding dog food to hedgehogs is bad for their health for this reason, but high-quality cat food can be used in a pinch. They like chicken flavors best, and will ignore fish.

Wild Hedgehogs and Water

• Hedgehogs drink a lot of water. If encouraging wild hedgehogs onto your property, make sure -- absolutely sure -- that escape routes are available from all ponds and pools. Hedgehogs can swim, but tire easily and drown in even shallow bodies of water.

Hedgehogs as Pets

• The African Pygmy hedgehog -- a hybrid of the Four-toed and the Algerian Hedgehog -- is the most common domesticated breed. They have only been popular as pets since the 1980s, and retain much of their wild behaviorisms, including fear of predators. They seldom feel threatened by domesticated dogs or cats -- unless one is particularly mischievous -- but perceive humans as a menace. Regular, careful handling can moderate the reaction. It is worth noting that, because of their propensity to carry foot-and-mouth disease, keeping even African Pygmy hedgehogs as pets is illegal in California, Georgia, Hawaii, New York and in parts of Nebraska. A breeder's license is needed even in the states where keeping a hedgehog is permitted.

Feeding Pet Hedgehogs

• Proprietary foods are manufactured for hedgehogs kept as pets. Complete nutrition products are available that should be in the hedgehog's environment at all times, complemented once in a while with canned food made specially for insect-eating animals. Such products typically contain mealworms, which are high in the important chitin content. Exotic pet stores usually stock these products; if they are difficult to obtain in your area, numerous Internet-based providers can complete postal orders.

Pet Hedgehog Dietary Supplements

• Pet hedgehogs can eat small amounts of "people" food such as cooked -- never raw -- lean beef, pork and chicken, but these should not compose the majority of the diet. Small amounts of vegetables and fruits can also be given, but the best way to provide good nutrition as a treat is to use baby food. Feeding live insects from pet stores as treats is not encouraged; waxworms and crickets have a high body fat content. Note that insects sold in bait shops are usually wild-caught and may therefore be contaminated with herbicides and other chemicals; these should not be given.

Hedgehog Feeding Don'ts

• Hedgehog mouths are shaped for catching moving prey; small, rounded objects can get stuck and cause problems, even suffocation. For this reason, do not feed hedgehogs raisins, grapes or nuts. Do not feed hedgehogs dairy products: They are lactose-intolerant, and yogurt, cheese and milk will give them stomach problems and cause them great pain. High-fat items such as avocados, chocolate and egg yolks must also be avoided. Further, steer clear of any product that has had sugar added; the sugars in fruit are sufficient.

Overfeeding Hedgehogs

• If your pet hedgehog is no longer able to roll into a tight ball, it has become obese. Hedgehogs are busy little creatures, so being overweight is usually an indicator that their diet is too high in fat and should be changed. Like all mammals, they are prone to fatty liver disease if allowed to become overweight.