European Hedgehogs

[Irophia]

Does anyone know of European Hedgies existing in the US or Canada?

[TheTickleNinja]

No the US only have the African pygmy. The European Hedgehog is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act in Britain, and may not be trapped without a license. They are not considered to be endangered, though their numbers are decreasing.

Importing hedgehogs into the US has been illegal since 1990. The only hedgehogs you can own are the ones that were previously brought over.

[veralidaine]

It's interesting to hear that they are protected in Britain. When I was in England last year visiting family, my cousin was absolutely flabbergasted at the idea that hedgehogs could be kept as pets in North America. According to her, they're nothing but pests over there.

[paulajo]

I'm in England but ive never heard of them being considered as pests?

Yes they do carry fleas BUT they are wonderful to see and very useful to have in the garden. That being, they will eat all the garden pests. There are many wildlife rescue places in the UK that will take care of injured and under sized ones, with the aim to re-release.

I would be only to happy to see lots of them running around my garden!

[veralidaine]

Oh wow, that's really interesting. What specific types of garden pests do they eat?

[TheTickleNinja]

They are insectivores, so they eat ALL insects, especially in the wild.

My sister accidentally dropped her tub of meal-worms into her hedgehog's cage and he acted like angels from heaven dropped manna into his cage and he got all happy and started chomping away at them. ^^

[paulajo]

Wild ones will eat slugs, snails, beetles, Larvae, caterpillars, Earthworms, millipedes and Earwigs etc

So there good little critters :)

My APH's love meal worms etc but cant eat what the wildies eat

[TheTickleNinja]

Yes, domestication has changed their diet it seems, cat food and the occasional bug is good for them.

Of course a hedgehog should not eat the bugs from the wild too often, they could carry diseases.

Here is a site that has bugs ready to go, some are dried for those who can't handle the live ones.
http://www.exoticnutrition.com/hedgehogfoods.html

[paulajo]

Personally i would never give any APH or other pets wild bugs/creatures, as you never know whether they would be safe for pets to eat due to pesticides, slug pellets etc. For mine its only bought in bugs that are directly intended as live feed.

[caninesrock]

I don't know much about European Hedgehogs,but I think African Pygmy Hedgehogs are adorable. ^^