smhufflepuff
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How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/07 14:57
I've been telling people about my hedgie including how she needs to be kept at a certain temperature -- too cold, she could try to hibernate and die; too warm, she could try to estivate and die. And the questions I get back are:
How the heck could they survive in the wild? Is there some place that just magically never goes below 70F or above 85F? How is it possible they have survived as a species with that kind of requirement? One heatwave or cold snap and *poof* they're all gone!
So far, I really don't have any good answers. Any thoughts?
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hokubahedgie
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/07 15:13
well, they live in the dessert/africa, and also i believe that the kind we have is a hybrid species, not one found in the wild exactly. i think a warmer climate hedgie was crossbred with a colder climate one? correct me if i'm wrong, i just vaguely remmeber reading about this.
also, they can take hotter temperatures at times. My hedgie actually really loves it when it gos above 80 and he'll be playing and exploring like nuts. i'm a bit worried because my new place doesnt have any air conditioning, so its harder to regulate the temperature, but so far he seems to be okay. i'm keeping a close eye on him though!
the only problem is, he doesnt seem to be eating as much, though he definitely eats and still poops a lot. i try to hand feed him a little when i play with him, and every so often he gets a mealworm, so hopefully he's fine =)
they ARE picky little guys though arent they? heheh i love how i even give magellan bottled water (i hear that a lotta hedgies dont like the taste of tap water).
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clutterbuster
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/07 15:43
we use Brita filtered water in my house, makes a big difference in the coffee. But it is a municipal water system that is chlorinated and that is probably what the hedgies don't like.
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CandJ327
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/07 17:19
I use a britta filter on my tap and Ava loves her water 
Ava's mom!
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HamorHollow
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/07 18:34
Our hedgehogs are a cross breed of that Algerian and White Bellied hedgehogs which are both African hedgehogs and need the warm climate.
In the wild, many hedgehogs live in the underground abandoned borrows of other animals, so I imagine they would escape under ground when things get too hot.
clutterbuster wrote:
we use Brita filtered water in my house, makes a big difference in the coffee. But it is a municipal water system that is chlorinated and that is probably what the hedgies don't like.
My hedgehogs all (50+ at the time) did perfectly fine on municipal water when we had it. I know Stasi's are all on it as well. It really isn't an issue. Not that giving bottled or filtered water is bad, it just isn't a necessary expense.
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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hokubahedgie
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/08 08:29
i tend to always have some around anyway, and i only have the one hedgie, so at least for now i dont mind the expense.
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saabgirl9000
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/08 09:38
My hedgie was on bottled water for awhile and then later I slowly moved her over to tap water. I do live in a city so the water doesn't really taste great but Digit doesn't seem to mind!
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zorra578
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/08 14:41
lol Africa is that magical place. Places in the tropics and near the equator (though I believe our hedgies are related to south African ones which fluctuates a little more) rarely have a large fluctuation in temperature. Places like Hawaii and Mexico are the same too, they are about 70-85 year round, so it's not that out of the ordinary.
Jessica
Des Plaines, IL
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aislinsadia
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/09 12:10
Not only what you guys have said, but do understand that there are animals who live in desert like regions in Africa that survive during dry seasons in what we would imagine would be unbearable heat here. A trick that these kinds of animals have learned is where to find resting places out of the heat, and out of the sun. Since hedgehogs are a burrowing animal, they burrow into the earth where it is much cooler during the daytime, kind of like how if you don't have AC, you might hideout in your basement because it is so much cooler :-D.
My personal experience with hedgehogs has been that they are not as sensitive as everyone makes them out to be, and have done just fine in cooler temperatures- but nothing below 50F.
*~*Steph*~*
Cotton, Noodles & Cocoa (hedgehogs), Kuruku & Kimiko (kittens), Sushi & Lily (Ryukin Goldfish), Rosy & Ruby (beagle sisters), Aries & Artemis (fancy guppies), Archie & Rocky (African Dwarf Frogs), and Squiggles (Blue Mystery Snail) |
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CThogs
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/09 12:26
My personal experience with hedgehogs has been that they are not as sensitive as everyone makes them out to be, and have done just fine in cooler temperatures- but nothing below 50F.
50F is too low. Most of mine do fine in the 70-72F range. I have had a couple who needed it consistently warmer. It is sort of like people-one person's "just right" may be another's "too hot"or "too cold". You need to get to know your own hedgehogs requirements.
Ann
Connecticut Hedgehogs
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Julie Pierce
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/09 17:58
I have had a few false hibernation scares when the temp in my room fell below 70 degrees. Temperature is very very important. You dont want to mess with False Hibernation - if you dont find them in time and heat them up their bodies will shut down and they can die.
Julie Pierce
Pierce's Pogs
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HamorHollow
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/09 21:33
aislinsadia wrote:
My personal experience with hedgehogs has been that they are not as sensitive as everyone makes them out to be, and have done just fine in cooler temperatures- but nothing below 50F.
Absolutely not. At 50F a hedgehog will go into false hibernation and decline quickly.I've seen many hedgehogs go into hibernation at 70F (young and old) and even some older ones go into hibernation at 75F.
Temperature is not something to mess with for an African Pygmy hedgehog. Tenrecs, European hedgehogs, and maybe some other kinds of hedgehogs can hibernate properly at lower temps, but the APH (the only hedgehog in the US pet industry) must be kept warm.
-K
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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aislinsadia
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/10 07:53
Of course I do not keep my hedgehogs that cold. And of course I don't mess with temperature just to see how they react, or do not care about how it affects them. I was only giving a n example, not trying to say a definite "this is how I have kept them at sometimes", which is certainly not implied. This summer's temperatures have gone through quite a range, sometimes in the mid 90's, where they are a little slow but nothing drastic, to down in the low 60's, which sometimes they stuck in their fleece and sometimes they have actually wheeled all night and ate just fine.
I know that you have to tell me what you think is best because you probably believe that I am not taking care of them straight and I would be worried similarly, but please don't assume- it gets frustrating. Questions are better received by those who are communicating.
*~*Steph*~*
Cotton, Noodles & Cocoa (hedgehogs), Kuruku & Kimiko (kittens), Sushi & Lily (Ryukin Goldfish), Rosy & Ruby (beagle sisters), Aries & Artemis (fancy guppies), Archie & Rocky (African Dwarf Frogs), and Squiggles (Blue Mystery Snail) |
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Stasi
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/10 09:19
I'm sure they're not thinking that you do not care for your hedgehog. Maybe you didn't mean how that statement came across - but there are many people who come onto the board and lurk - those are the ones that we have to make sure get safe answers...and, "My personal experience with hedgehogs has been that they are not as sensitive as everyone makes them out to be, and have done just fine in cooler temperatures- but nothing below 50F."
comes across as very unsafe. Just think about how a newbie could take that.
 That's why it was jumped on, please don't take it as a personal attack.
Stasi
Terrapin Hedgehogs
Joppa, MD
www.terrapinhedgehogs.com
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HamorHollow
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/10 20:42
aislinsadia wrote:
I know that you have to tell me what you think is best because you probably believe that I am not taking care of them straight and I would be worried similarly, but please don't assume- it gets frustrating. Questions are better received by those who are communicating.
At no point did I say that you weren't taking care of your hedgehog. I was actually, as Stasi correctly assumed, making a blanket statement for anyone who is coming here to learn about hedgehogs. I do not want a newbie to think that it is ok for an APH to be exposed to temps below 70F.
I do realize that the outside temps are fluctuating, however APHs need to be kept inside the house and warm. Generally homes don't get much cooler then 65 degrees, and if they do get that cool the owner needs to look into some type of external heat source in order to properly take care of the animal.
I am not making any assumptions about the care you are giving your animal. However if your hedgehog is being exposed to temps lower them 70F, please look into purchasing an external heat source.
-K
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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CThogs
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/11 05:43
aislinsadia,
Because your post was in natural history not care, I figured you were talking theoretically about temperature. However, I was also concerned that someone new to hedgehogs or new to the forum would read it and take it the wrong way. Hibernation attempts can be scary and I would not want somebody to have to go through that unnecessarily.
Ann
Ann
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smhufflepuff
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Re:How do the African hedgies survive? - 2007/09/11 10:14
CThogs wrote:
Because your post was in natural history not care, I figured you were talking theoretically about temperature. However, I was also concerned that someone new to hedgehogs or new to the forum would read it and take it the wrong way. Hibernation attempts can be scary and I would not want somebody to have to go through that unnecessarily.
Agreed; I started the thread in natural history for that reason; I was wondering about how they could survive in the wild, while knowing full well that we have to keep our little ones nice and warm (but not too warm).
I wonder if hibernation attempts that might occur in the wild are one of the reasons that captive hedgies are reported to have longer lifespans than their wild counterparts.
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