Really Pigmy Hedgies

[Supertutu]

I saw some really small hedgies.On Spain are not too common and there\'s not to much info about them. Shall somebody explain if you can fix this small hedgies line?, If on really is an illnes?, just a genetical problem?, affects on general health?
and much more....


Thanks and sorry for my crazy questions!!

[dzmeadows]

It depends on HOW small you are looking at. I have seen some lines that tended to throw small hedgehogs, around 300 grams in weight or just under. They typically were just fine as far as health goes, however, sometimes some of the really small ones have a tough time if there is a major illness show up, because they don\'t have a lot of reserves built up. I have also seen what is referred to as \"failure to thrive\" hedgehogs, who stay small and never seem to grow properly. These tend to be pretty weak, and die young. I had one hedgehog who actually had some form of dwarfism, she was adorable, but tiny, with some slightly odd physical characteristics. She did OK, but didn\'t live really long, and I never bred her because A.) I didn\'t know what health issues she could have and B.) She was so small any male I owned would have squished her.
Becca

[Supertutu]

Becca I\'m talking about really smalls ones i\'ll tryy to catch pictures but both (a couple) with 2 months was able to stay on my hand together and I\'m not big (5.75 feet)
[img size=150]http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3470/mandy1i.jpg[/img]

She was near double of him and this picture is with two months... you can see mi finger like reference.

[nannyogg]

I have some lines that have stayed pretty tiny, though I interbred them with my other hedgies so now I don\'t have the super small ones any more. My smallest adult ever (who was never delayed in growth) weighed 186 grams (6 oz) fully grown. I had others who were maybe 250 to 300 grams fully grown. They didn\'t have any problems with reproducing.

Tig

[Jednine]

hmmm... That hedgehog in the picture is very tiny. My own hedgehog, Kozmo, is very small, which I didn\'t find out until I went to the hedgehog fest gathering and saw all the other hedgehogs. At a year old he was as big as ones a few months old. He is now almost 2 years old and hasn\'t grown anymore... I can still fairly easily pick him up with one hand. I think the ones you are talking about are even smaller though? I know the hedgehogs we have as pets were hybrids of different pygmy hedgehogs.... I wonder if maybe some of these you have found are the same sizes as the originals?

[dzmeadows]

Actually, \"pigmy\" is a marketing term when applied to the hedgehogs that we have. Our hedgehogs are the same size (approx, taking in account that we feed them better) than their wild ancestors.
Becca

[Jednine]

dzmeadows wrote:

Actually, \"pigmy\" is a marketing term when applied to the hedgehogs that we have. Our hedgehogs are the same size (approx, taking in account that we feed them better) than their wild ancestors.
Becca

That\'s interesting. I wonder if it is because so many people were used to the European ones which are huge (in comparison of course)

[JoGirl]

Supertutu wrote:

Becca I\'m talking about really smalls ones i\'ll tryy to catch pictures but both (a couple) with 2 months was able to stay on my hand together and I\'m not big (5.75 feet)
[img size=150]http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3470/mandy1i.jpg[/img]

She was near double of him and this picture is with two months... you can see mi finger like reference.

If I am reading this right, you saidthe 2 you were talking about were only 2 months old? At 2 months old, they are not fully grown yet... That would be why they are so small!

[Supertutu]

As you know I have 5 hedgies, this ones that I\'m explaining was less than half the bigger than a one with the same age. The smaller was near 1/4 of the normal ones.. On my \"prediction\" both ws unable to be bigger than 200 grms on adult size just with size an weight projections.

(Sorry for my silent this days)