Hoglet Development

Expect the unexpected

In my years of rescuing, fostering, and working with hedgehogs, I have never had a litter of hedgehogs in my care. When a female rescue I was fostering gave birth, I was quite taken aback! I had not known that she was pregnant. Her litter consisted of one, tiny, perfect little hoglet. Typically, hedgehogs will have more than one baby at a time.

So, unexpectedly, I had the privilege of watching a baby hedgehog grow from helpless, hairless, and mostly quill-less into a fine young hedgehog. While I do not and cannot claim to be an expert on the subject of baby hedgehogs, I hope this experience will enlighten you. We have named the baby Tenzing, after Sir Edmund Hillary's intrepid sherpa guide for his famed Mount Everest climb, and plan to keep him.

Note: Breeding hedgehogs is a risky business for both mom and babies. No matter how cute they are, this is a major responsibility and major undertaking, with true life-or-death consequences, and one that I would not have voluntarily taken on. Selling or giving away babies can require a USDA license or one-time exception. Visit the Hedgehog Welfare Society's USDA Information section for more information on this topic, and Tig Means' article So, you want to breed hedgehogs?

What should you do if your hedgehog has a litter?

Let the mom do what she needs to do unless you feel that she is endangering or neglecting the babies. In most cases, mom and babies should be left alone for at least 10-14 days. After that, based on the mom's attitude, you may consider handling the babies for a few minutes a day. Remember that the mother has a job to do, and your role is to support her as she nurses and cares for her babies.

If the mother is not caring for her babies, then it may be necessary to hand feed them. This is a difficult undertaking and, depending on the age and health of the babies, may not be successful.

Hoglet vocalizations

From the time of birth, hoglets are capable of vocalizations to express themselves to their mothers. This vocalization is a squeak or peep, almost like a sound a baby bird would make, and is often the first indication that baby hedgehogs have come into the world. I first noticed Tenzing because he was squeaking softly for his mother after he had been born.

Since then, his squeaks have changed in volume and tempo and have become more purposeful. In the first and second week, when his mother would leave him to get some food or water, he would squeak for her. He also squeaked when turned onto his back or put into a position where he was uncomfortable. In the third week, he began to have several distinct squeaks, which we could somewhat recognize as annoyance, confusion, or hunger.

Most hedgehogs will outgrow the need to squeak. For example, my hedgehog Knarla was around six weeks old when she came to live with us, and she did not squeak at that time. She has squeaked a couple of times in the three plus years since then, usually to indicate some sort of distress.

Tenzing's Development (click thumbnail for a larger version)

Day 1	July 8, 2004
	This photo was likely taken within an hour of birth. The hoglet doesn't much look like a real hedgehog yet, with pink skin, few quills, and closed eyes and ears. He has a voice, though - a delicate, bird-like squeak.
Day 3	July 10, 2004
	Tonight, the hoglet is squeaking a bit, and seems to be moving a little more on his own. Mom's appetite is good, and I know the baby is nursing, so I suspect he's just complaining a little. He did not like this afternoon's thunderstorm at all and squeaked mightily after each clap of thunder.
Day 5	July 12, 2004
	The baby hoglet is doing quite well, and mom is continuing to be very attentive. Today, you can start to see the very smallest dark quills coming in.
Day 7	July 14, 2004
	The hoglet's growth is simply amazing. We now see quills in abundance, and the ears are starting to separate from the head. We were also able to take the first peek at the baby's belly and confirm that it is a little boy.
Day 10	July 17, 2004
	The little one is really looking like a hedgehog! He has learned how to curl into a ball and is too cute, since he is so very small. We included the golf ball for size comparison purposes. We handled him for a few minutes, and it was charming to see his wee, tiny, perfect feet and toes and to see his little nose moving about and sniffing curiously.
Day 12	July 19, 2004
	Tenzing officially receives his name. Our little adventurous hoglet tried to climb the back of the sofa ... despite the fact that his wee eyes are not yet open. We joked that Sir Edmund Hillary was a poor choice of name for a hedgehog, despite the fact that Hillary was the first man to scale Everest. Well, said Chopper, what was Hillary's sherpa's name? Our little fellow will be named Tenzing after Tenzing Norgay, Hillary's sherpa guide. Weight: 56 grams.
Day 14	July 21, 2004
	I cannot believe how much he has grown and changed! He is not only bigger, but more developed in every way. He is starting to grow fur on his face, legs, and belly, and we can tell that his eyes are only a few days away from opening. Today, they look more like they are simply closed.
Day 15	July 22, 2004
	Tenzing loves to thoughtfully chew on fingers, since he's teething. When he yawns, we can see that he's still toothless!
Day 17	July 24, 2004
	Tenzing continues to want to nibble, lick, and self-annoint on everything new, including our hands. His eyes are so close to opening. The eyelids look very defined, and it appears like they are just closed. Weight: 78 grams.
Day 19	July 26, 2004
	Tenzing is more used to being handled, and less anxious when turned on his back. He climbs and explores a bit, albeit cautiously.
Day 20	July 27, 2004
	Tenzing's eyes are open! Well, at least the right eye is. The lids on his right eye have gently separated, and we can see the slight reflection of his eye underneath. We can also see the beginnings of tiny teeth beginning to emerge in the back of his mouth, still covered by gums, when he yawns.
Day 21	July 28, 2004
	Both of Tenzing's eyes are open, although the lids are still slightly droopy. His energy, curiosity, and coordination are all steadily increasing. In addition, his teeth are continuing to emerge, as seen in this photo. Weight: 102 grams.
Day 23	July 30, 2004
	Tenzing is a perfect miniature hedgehog. His eyes are open, his quill coat is dense, and his ability to walk and climb are good. He is not yet eating solid food, but with his teeth continuing to emerge, he is not too far away from his first few bites.
Day 27	August 4, 2004
	Tenzing meets his adopted big sister Knarla Pog for the first time. The two sniffed noses gently and even licked each other delicately on the nose before wandering off to do their own thing. Weight: 128 grams.
Day 28	August 5, 2004
	Tenzing takes in his first outdoor adventure - the church steps and yard next door. He is quite the little explorer, jogging around on the steps and in the grass. His wee nose sniffs the whole time, taking in all the new scents. He even meets a few new people and seems unphased.
Day 30	August 7, 2004
	The Carolina Hedgehog Society has a party in Tenzing's honor, which the little guy seems to enjoy. He got to meet a lot of humans and hedgehogs and was very calm for the whole event. He got to run on a wheel for the first time, which he seemed to relish. Weight: 131 grams.
Day 34	August 11, 2004
	Tenzing is eating kibble on his own now. His mother and he have had some minor arguments about whether or not he can nurse, as evidenced by squeaking and shuffling during the night.
Day 35	August 12, 2004
	Tenzing and his adopted big sister Knarla Pog enjoyed a little play time together. This is a good size comparison photo for those that know hedgehogs. Knarla is a smallish adult hedgehog, and Tenzing is about one third her size.
	Knarla and Tenzing challenged each other to a wheeling duel. Knarla may have won for speed, but Tenzing stayed on the wheel more consistently during their time together.
	Tenzing's appetite is quite good, although he is eating more kibble than treats at this point. Weight: 152 grams.
Day 36	August 13, 2004
	Dr. Biascoechea saw Knarla for a follow-up and Tenzing for a well-pet visit. Both hedgehogs are in excellent shape. While they travelled to and from the vet's office in separate carriers, they took a moment to snuggle while we were waiting to see the doctor.
Day 38	August 15, 2004
	We introduced Tenzing to a pint-sized exercise ball, which he took to with considerable relish. In the ball, he can explore areas of the apartment with less supervision than would be required if he was on foot. He will graduate to a 11.5" exercise ball when he gets a little bigger.
Day 39	August 16, 2004
	Tenzing and his mom had a dispute over the wheel. Just in case you were worried about Tenzing, he performed a rather impressive maneuver -- the "behind mom, against the wheel wall" push, which sent her sprawling out into the litter pan. She was NOT impressed.
	To avoid any further familial discord, I separated the hedgehogs into two separate cages with their own wheels for some exercise time, and put them back together to get some sleep later.
Day 42	August 19, 2004
	Tenzing received, much to his dismay, his first bath tonight. We filled the sink with about an inch of comfortably warm water. He didn't panic, but definitely did not enjoy the experience.
More to come!