Do Hedgehogs Eat Their Babies? Best Info (2024)

It might surprise you, but hedgehogs sometimes eat their babies or push them away. This often happens with first-time mothers or when they are disturbed.¹ We call this “hedgehog infanticide” which shows how complicated their parenting can be.

Hedgehogs become ready for babies by their second year and can have them every year till they die.² The best time for baby making, known as “the rut,” is in May and June in Britain.² Most hedgehogs will have between four to five babies, but sometimes there might be as many as seven.² Sadly, the mom hedgehog can only raise two or three of them successfully.²

It’s heartbreaking, but a hedgehog mother may leave or eat her babies. This might happen if she’s stressed out or disturbed during her pregnancy or when trying to take care of them.² Known as hedgehog infanticide, this is a real thing. But, we still don’t completely understand why it occurs.¹

Scientists are studying this dark side of hedgehog parenting. They want to know what leads to these drastic and tough to see behaviors, like hedgehog cannibalism.²¹

Understanding Hedgehog Infanticide

The topic of hedgehog infanticide and cannibalism is complex. This includes various stress factors leading to these behaviors. For example, female hedgehogs might feel their babies are in danger or become stressed by unfamiliar scents.³

Living in crowded places adds to their stress. This, along with the challenges of pregnancy and nursing, can cause mothers to eat their young. This behavior seems unnatural but is a result of many factors.

Causes of Baby Hedgehog Cannibalism

The reasons for this sad behavior are not fully known. But we do have some insights into it.

One reason is the stress on females during pregnancy and nursing, especially in busy places. Also, males might kill the babies to have another chance to mate with the female.

Stress and Environmental Factors

Interestingly, not every hedgehog shows these behaviors. This was noted by a breeder who has seen peaceful groups. He talked about the importance of the mother’s personality and her relationship with humans.³

In addition, someone pointed out that a calm nature in hedgehogs can be passed to their young. They stressed the importance of good breeding practices to prevent these behaviors. This shows that handling and care are key in raising healthy and peaceful hedgehogs.

Hedgehogs become ready to mate in their second year. They can have babies every year until they die, most often in May and June. A typical litter includes four or five hoglets, but usually, only two or three survive. The mother might abandon or eat them if she feels disturbed.

The exact causes of hedgehog infanticide and cannibalism are not known. But it’s clear that reducing stress and disturbances for mother hedgehogs is important. This is key during pregnancy, nursing, and the early days of caring for their young. More research and understanding can improve how we take care of hedgehogs. This includes careful breeding and a deeper insight into their behavior.

Do Hedgehogs Eat Their Babies?

Hedgehogs eating their own offspring is indeed a scary and complex topic. It happens because of various reasons such as stress. This stress may come from feeling their babies are not safe, smelling unknown scents on them, or too many hedgehogs living in one place.³ Sometimes, the mom hedgehog can’t handle all the work of being a mom. So, she eats her babies instead.³ Even though scientists know this happens, they are not entirely sure why.

Interestingly, male hedgehogs may also kill the babies. They do this to be able to mate with the mom again.³ The chances of a hedgehog eating its young can be affected by genetics, how it was brought up, and its personality. Knowing these things is key to breeding hedgehogs without sad outcomes.³

The first source tells us how to lower the chances of infanticide. Clear nests in quiet places are important. These places should not have scary, unknown smells or too many hedgehogs in them.³ Breeders need to keep moms relaxed and happy. This means watching over them, keeping them away from strange scents, and knowing what makes them upset³. With these tips, we can try to make sure baby hedgehogs live.

We still may not know all the reasons for hedgehog infanticide. But what we do know tells us how important it is to breed hedgehogs the right way.

Hedgehog Breeding and Maternal Behavior

Hedgehogs are amazing animals known for their complex life cycles and caring nature. When they turn a year old, they are ready to have babies every year until they die. In Britain, hedgehogs mate most actively in May and June, during the spring².

The Gestation Period

A hedgehog’s pregnancy lasts about 35 days⁴. But, baby hedgehogs can come early, in 30 days, or late, up to 45 days⁴. This variation helps hedgehogs respond to their environment for their newborns’ safe upbringing.

Nesting and Birthing Process

Female hedgehogs give birth to 4 or 5 hoglets at a time⁵. These young hoglets are born tiny and blind, weighing about 25 grams⁵. Mother hedgehogs create hidden nests to protect and care for their babies. Sadly, not all the hoglets survive to be adults. Nearly 50% of baby hedgehogs in the UK don’t make it, and 20% die before leaving the nest due to many dangers⁵.

Sometimes, mother hedgehogs might struggle to take care of their young. This can lead to very sad outcomes like infanticide and cannibalism. It’s vital to understand why this happens to protect these creatures.

Preventing Hedgehog Infanticide

Making a safe and serene nesting spot is key to stopping infanticide.³ It’s important for the mother to feel calm and not stressed.³ Being careful with her environment can lower the chance of her eating her young.³ Don’t disturb her during birth or while nursing, since she might leave or harm her babies when on edge.⁶

Providing Proper Housing and Nesting Areas

Breeders need to give the mother hedgehog a quiet and safe place.³ A cozy nesting area away from noise and commotion is crucial.³ Knowing the mother’s habits and keeping stress away can help avoid infanticide.³

Minimizing Disturbances

It’s vital to watch and care for the mother hedgehog closely when baby hedgehogs are coming.³ Don’t do sudden moves or let strange smells near where she’s caring for her young.³ New breeders should do their homework, get advice, and not rush into breeding. This is for the safety of the mother and the baby hedgehogs.³

With these steps, hedgehog breeders can cut down infanticide risks and help young hedgehogs grow healthy.³ The hedgehog breeding world stresses good breeding practices and getting guidance. This ensures hedgehog well-being.³

Risks of Late Litters and Second Litters

Female hedgehogs might have a second litter in late September or October. But, these babies are less likely to live through the winter.⁷ It’s hard for hedgehogs in Britain to raise two litters a year. This is because the babies from the second litter must grow fast to hibernate well. Often, they can’t grow quick enough.⁷ These late litters can mean baby hedgehogs still needing food in the winter, sometimes during the day. They may look very skinny.

⁷ Babies born from August to November have little time to get ready for hibernation. For a safe hibernation, they need to be between 500 and 700 grams.⁷ Hedgehogs start breeding after the first year. Yet, more than 80% of mommy hedgehogs will have a second set of babies, showing this happens a lot.

⁷ A study by Toni Bunnell found that late babies gain weight faster than others. Still, late litters have been happening for over 15 million years. This shows it’s quite a natural thing.⁷ People helping these late babies can actually help the hedgehog species to survive better.

Male Hedgehog Behavior Towards Offspring

Female hedgehogs are sometimes seen acting violently, which includes killing and eating their young. However, we should also look at what male hedgehogs do in these situations. In an online discussion, one person suggested that male hedgehogs might kill the babies to have more chances to mate. This shows there’s more to understand about male hedgehog actions in family life.³

Paternal Aggression and Cannibalism

A thread about how male hedgehogs treat their babies has caught the interest of over 65,000 people. In it, there are stories from hedgehog owners. One owner shared how her pet ate its own babies because the partner was not kept apart. This might point to male hedgehogs showing extreme behavior, like eating their young, to mate again.³

Yet, the second source doesn’t cover what male hedgehogs do with their young ones much. It mainly talks about how female hedgehogs care for and protect their babies. This means there’s still much to learn about how male hedgehogs fit into raising their babies and if they might hurt them.⁸

Hedgehog Courtship and Mating Rituals

The⁹ hedgehog courtship process is described as a “grandiose term for what is actually a rather ill-tempered and seemingly tedious affair.” The male tries to win the female over in long meetings. These meetings include circling each other and making rhythmic sounds. They seem to be confrontational and may draw in other males, leading to fights. The actual⁹ mating process is described as a “delicate operation,” with the female adopting a special body position as the male mounts from behind. Some studies show⁹ hedgehogs have several mates in a single season, showing they are promiscuous.

Sources indicate that² hedgehogs reach sexual maturity in their second year. They breed between April and September, but the most common time is May and June in Britain. Only 7% of courtship instances result in mating. Also, there were many competitive situations where one female was wanted by 10 males. Two males even tried to court eight different females, showing how competitive mating is for hedgehogs.

The⁹ courtship behaviors can be very forceful and even combative at times. Some females are known to get aggressive with males if they are not interested. What’s more,⁹ male hedgehogs might flirt with other males, which is rare in this species.

Caring for Orphaned or Rejected Hoglets

Taking care of orphaned or rejected hedgehog hoglets is both tricky and fulfilling. These little ones need extra love and attention to make it through, especially if they’ve lost their mom or got separated from their family too soon.¹⁰

Hand-Rearing and Nurturing Techniques

If a baby hedgehog is alone or rejected, you have to feed it by hand.¹⁰ It needs food every few hours in the beginning,¹⁰ and you have to check its weight and pick the right food for its health and growth¹⁰. At about two weeks old, when it opens its eyes, it will move more and grow faster¹⁰. It’s smart to get guidance from someone experienced to give it the best care possible.¹⁰

Sometimes, you have to hand-feed the baby hedgehog until it’s ready to eat on its own, with the time between feedings getting longer¹⁰. Good foods for hoglets are tinned dog or cat food, cat biscuits, crushed dog biscuits, and special hedgehog foods.¹¹ Don’t give them cow’s milk or bread, as these can harm them.¹¹

You should keep an eye on the hoglet’s weight and health very closely¹⁰. Hedgehogs under 300g may not make it through the winter without help¹¹. Those from 300g to 450g might need some food in the garden until October’s mild nights end¹¹. Any over 450g who are still seen at night should be healthy enough to hibernate naturally¹¹.

Mom hedgehogs might leave one or more of their babies because of a few reasons¹⁰. Making the place quiet and calm and keeping interruptions to a minimum can up the chances of these orphaned or rejected babies surviving and growing well.

Hedgehog Breeding Ethics and Considerations

There is no specific data on the ethics of hedgehog breeding. But, important facts have been shared.³ Eight people discussed why female hedgehogs eat their babies. They mentioned stress, danger to the babies, strange scents, and being in crowded places.³ One person said male hedgehogs might kill the babies to mate again.³

The information also talks about how the mother hedgehog’s nature, stress, and genes affect if she might eat her babies.³ It’s crucial for the babies to have a good place to live, hedgehogs to not be able to get away, and for breeders to get advice first.³

These facts show the deep issues hedgehog breeders face. They must work hard to make sure the babies are safe and happy. Doing good hedgehog breeding means caring about the health and feelings of the hedgehogs. It also means setting up the right home and conditions. This helps prevent problems and makes it more likely the hedgehogs will do well.

Signs of a Stressed or Aggressive Mother Hedgehog

Raising baby hedgehogs is tough, especially with a mom who’s stressed or angry. One source says you should watch for aggressive signs, like pushing or attacking her babies.¹² A mother hedgehog was so aggressive she hurt one of the baby males. She needed help to stop the attack.¹²

Recognizing Warning Signs

Stressed moms might push or bite their babies. This can get worse with time.¹² People worried about the baby hedgehogs’ survival because of the mom’s behavior.¹² This aggression could come from stressful changes in the cage, like new bedding.¹²

Handling Protocol for Safety

If a mother hedgehog acts out, be careful. Separate the babies if the mom gets too aggressive. They might have to stop nursing early, at 4 weeks.¹² Many hedgehog owners go through this. It seems older female hedgehogs might struggle more.¹² Owners in similar situations were told they’re not alone. They were offered guidance and support to cope with the stress.¹²

Impact of Infanticide on Hedgehog Populations

Hedgehog infanticide and cannibalism are concerning. However, we need more research on their effects on hedgehog numbers and survival.¹³ The facts we have do not give us details on this.

Things like stress and where they live can make infanticide more likely.¹³ But, we don’t fully know the impact of this on hedgehog groups yet.¹⁴

Infanticide’s role in hedgehog survival is yet to be well understood. But, we do know some big threats to them. For example, getting hit by cars is a leading cause of death, found in over three-quarters of cases.¹⁴ Also, city hedgehogs have low genetic variety because there are no natural barriers.¹⁴

More studies are vital to see the full effects of infanticide. Also, to find other dangers to hedgehog population survival.¹³¹⁴ Looking at how behavior, surroundings, and human actions link together could tell us a lot about the long-term impact of hedgehog infanticide.

Hedgehog Parental Care and Baby Development

Young hedgehogs depend a lot on their parents to grow and survive. They leave the nest at three to four weeks old for foraging with their mother.⁴ After ten days, they start to venture on their own. Female hedgehogs might have another litter by late September. But, these babies have a harder time surviving winter.⁴

Weaning and Leaving the Nest

Hoglets change from milk to solid food as they grow up. They only drink milk during the first few weeks. Then, they slowly start eating solid foods.¹⁵ By 21 days old, they can eat solid food. But, some may still nurse up to 44 days old. A mother hedgehog plays a big part in showing them how to find food and become independent.

The hoglets also go through physical changes. New spines start to grow within two days of their birth. These spines will look like adult spines by three weeks.¹⁵ At three to four weeks, hoglets can also curl up. This is very important for their safety.¹⁵ The mother hedgehog takes special care of her babies. She guides them through this important time to make sure they grow well and learn to be on their own.

Conclusion

Hedgehog infanticide and cannibalism are true, happening. But, we’re not sure exactly why this occurs. Stress, the surroundings, and how well the mother hedgehog can handle her babies are key factors. These things could lead a hedgehog mom to eat her babies. Even with some prevention tips like giving them good homes and keeping the area calm, we still don’t know enough. There’s a lot more to discover about this part of hedgehog parental behavior and breeding.

Hedgehogs are not picky eaters. They’ll eat anything from bugs and slugs to bread and milk.¹⁶ They have been seen eating birds and chicks as well. But, we don’t know if they hunt them or just eat what’s already dead.¹⁶ The huge rise in hedgehog numbers on the Uist islands shows how important it is to keep studying them and protecting their environment.¹⁶

Understanding hedgehog parental care and breeding must be done gently and responsibly. By looking into what causes hedgehog infanticide, we can help make a better future for these amazing animals. They deserve to live well in our world.

Source Links

1. https://exoticnu*trition.com/blogs/blog/hand-raising-baby-hedgehogs
2. https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/about-hedgehogs/hoglets/
3. https://www.hedgehogcentral.com/threads/why-do-hedgehogs-eat-their-babies.17324/
4. https://hanzoandfriendsdotcom.wordpress.com/hedgehog-breeding-basics/
5. https://homeandroost.co.uk/blog/hedgehog-babies/
6. http://calgarypetvet.com/hedgehog-care/
7. https://homeandroost.co.uk/blog/why-do-hedgehogs-have-late-litters/
8. https://www.hornbeamwood.org.uk/post/the-mother-hedgehog-wild-hedgehogs-and-baby-hoglet-habits-and-habitats
9. https://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/european-hedgehog-breeding-biology-mating-gestation
10. https://heavenlyhedgies.com/how-do-i-care-for-an-orphaned-baby-hedgehog/
11. https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/hedgehogs/baby
12. https://www.hedgehogcentral.com/threads/momma-started-to-attack-one-of-the-babies.20189/
13. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Erinaceus/
14. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241698145_The_Effects_of_Sex_and_Season_on_Home_Range_in_European_Hedgehogs_at_the_Northern_Edge_of_the_Species_Range
15. https://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/european-hedgehog-breeding-biology-birth-development-of-hoglets
16. https://homeandroost.co.uk/blog/will-hedgehogs-harm-ground-nesting-birds/