Hedgehog World - A community for African Pygmy Hedgehog Owners and Breeders - Re:Care to comment?

Main Menu

Home

Banners

- - - - - - -

- - - - - - -

- - - - - - -

Search

Home

Hedgehog Forums

Hedgehog World Forum

home | post reply | threaded view | PDF | help

Boardwalk :: Forum List

General Hedgehog Information

Natural History

CThogs

Admin

Posts: 1514

Care to comment? - 2007/05/05 06:24 Articles about a "rare" albino african pygmy hedgehog born in the UK. This first link invites comments at the end.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html? in_article_id=452760&in_page_id=1770

Second article says "little white hedgehog is one in ten thousand"

http://www.cumberland-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=495102

One in 10 is probably more like it-sarcasm intended

Ann
Connecticut Hedgehogs

We had a great time at Hedgehog Fest 2008!!!

| | The administrator has disabled public write access.

Stasi

Admin

Posts: 614

Re:Care to comment? - 2007/05/05 09:41 I agree with you Ann!
However, reading a bit about the people running the rescue, at least they're on the right track educating kids about respecting nature!

Stasi
Terrapin Hedgehogs
Joppa, MD
www.terrapinhedgehogs.com

| | The administrator has disabled public write access.

zorra578

User

Posts: 404

Re:Care to comment? - 2007/05/05 10:23 The brits seem more aghast at the whole idea of keeping hedgehogs as pets since they have their own species of them there, they also tend to get them confused a lot more. If you look on flickr for hedgehog pictures you find a lot of wild european ones on there and a few african pygmy pet ones with a lot of comments on them saying "wow thats a pet!?" and you also find a lot of cute pictures of european ones swimming in bathtubs and such because people rescue and take care of ones not heavy enough to stay out the wintertime.

I found it hilarious how they mentioned it never being able to be released into the wild because of its color....they probably should have also mentioned it could never be released because its not a "European" hedgehog either.

Post edited by: zorra578, at: 2007/05/05 10:26 Jessica
Des Plaines, IL

My critter list: Dil bert (welsh terrier), Bowser R.I.P. (betta fish), Qu en tin (hedgehog).

| | The administrator has disabled public write access.

Julie Pierce

User

Posts: 986

Re:Care to comment? - 2007/05/05 13:16 That is so crazy!!!! Boy I have to go home and tell Funkhowser and Clementine that they are celebrities too!!! hahahahah Julie Pierce
Pierce's Pogs
http://www.piercespogs.com

| | The administrator has disabled public write access.

zorra578

User

Posts: 404

Re:Care to comment? - 2007/05/05 18:33 Funkhowser is the best name ever. ^.^ Jessica
Des Plaines, IL

My critter list: Dil bert (welsh terrier), Bowser R.I.P. (betta fish), Qu en tin (hedgehog).

| | The administrator has disabled public write access.

HamorHollow

Admin

Posts: 2136

Re:Care to comment? - 2007/05/05 20:02 I read that article a few days ago and have been pondering the 'rare' albino hedgehog since.

When I first started breeding, I had nearly a 3-1 ratio of albino babies over-taking the chocolates. Of course, the mother was an albino mated to a boy who carries a strong albino gene.

(Follow my thought process here) We have albinos in our breeding herds who are able to pass the albino gene on because they are living a longer then average life span (compared to an albino in the wild) and given multiple chances to reproduce and raise young without the worry of preditors.

So let's say the captive albino mom has 6 litters in her life and there are 4 childern in each litter. Say she's a really good mom, and of the 20 children 15 live to reproduction age. So now we have 15 offspring out there who all have potential to throw an albino gene. If all 15 of those babies have 15 offspring who have 15 offspring who have........ there are a lot of albino carriers out there and a lot of potential for albino in a captive herd.

Now say that same albino mom is in the wild....... oh crud, she just got smooshed by a stampede of elephants.

And thus the numbers of captive albinos flourish while the wild albinos aren't doing so well.

Thoughts?

-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. |
Do you want to buy a baby Hedgehog? Please fill out out questionnaire. |
Hedgehog World - A Community for African Pygmy Hedgehog Owners and Breeders

Join us for Hedgehog Fest 2008

| | The administrator has disabled public write access.

CThogs

Admin

Posts: 1514

Re:Care to comment? - 2007/05/07 06:21 I do like it that they are teaching kids about nature-yes milk comes from cows and not the grocery store

And the winner of their contest gets admission for a year to their facilities which is great.

But the captive herds can't be compared to the wild environment-No getting smooshed by elephants (mental picture of a herd of elephants sitting around soaking their feet) or getting attacked because of their lack of camoflage. My crazy cat is obsessed with our albino-I'm sure that he stands out compared to all the others so no, I don't think the albinos stand much of a chance in the wild

I just hope that people realize that in captive african pygmy herds albinos are not as rare as they are making them out to be. Ann
Connecticut Hedgehogs

We had a great time at Hedgehog Fest 2008!!!

| | The administrator has disabled public write access.

Boardwalk :: Forum List General Hedgehog Information Natural History

Joomlaboard Forum Component 1.1.3 Stable
Two Shoes M-Factory