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Simply Exotics are registered breeders of African Pygmy Hedgehogs and have a current breeding group of eleven

All our choglets are registered with the UKAPH and have their full registration papers.


LITTERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR RESERVATIONS AND HOME VISITS ARE WELCOMED

WE ARE DEDICATING A NEW WEB SITE TO OUR AFRICAN PYGMY HEDGEHOGS

http://www.simplyexotichedgehogs.co.uk/

All details of current and future breeding plans will be listed on the site which we hope you will enjoy

BY PURCHASING A CHOGLET FROM A REGISTERED BREEDER YOU WILL RECEIVE A WELL SOCIALISED CHOGLET THAT COMES WITH THEIR REGISTRATION PAPERS.  PYGMY HEDGEHOGS SHOULD NEVER BE KEPT AS PAIRS - THEY ARE SOLITARY CREATURES AND IF YOU PURCHASE A PAIR THAT ARE BEING KEPT IN TOGETHER PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE FEMALE COULD ALREADY BE CARRYING A LITTER OF CHOGLETS.  MALES ARE CAPABLE OF BREEDING FROM SEVEN WEEKS OF AGE BUT FEMALES SHOULD NOT BE MATED UNTIL THEY ARE AT LEAST SIX MONTHS OF AGE AS THEY ARE TOO IMMATURE FOR PREGNANCY BEFORE THIS AGE.  A FEMALE THAT GIVES BIRTH TO A LITTER WITH A MALE IN HER HOME WILL MORE THAN LIKELY KILL OR EAT THE LITTER.

IF YOUR INTENTION IS TO BREED THEN PURCHASING FROM REGISTERED BREEDERS IS THE ONLY GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL GET AN UNRELATED PAIR.

A REGISTERED BREEDER WILL PROVIDE YOU A COMPLETE AFTER SALES SERVICE AND WILL ENSURE YOU HAVE AN ACCURATE CARE SHEET THAT PROVIDES YOU WITH THE CORRECT INFORMATION FOR THE CONTINUED WELL BEING OF YOUR NEW ARRIVAL.



Meet the boys

 Horatio - Dark Eyed Cinnicot

Henry - Brown


Boss Hog - Algerian Dark Grey

Meet the girls

Herby - Chocolate

Hattie - Brown


Honey - Albino

Buffy - Albino

Holly - Brown

 Hermione - Chocolate


 Daisy - Grey



Each African Pygmy Hedgehog costs £ 150.00 and I can also supply their full set up - details upon request.

AFRICAN PYGMY HEDGEHOGS CARE SHEET

 

DIET

 

Basic Diet

 


The vast majority of existing literature considers the basic diet of an African Pygmy Hedgehog to be a good quality dry cat food (e.g. Whiskas, Iams) which is high in protein and also has the advantage of allowing the hedgehogs to exercise their teeth thus preventing dental problems.

 

Additional Items

 

It is advisable to offer a varied diet as much a possible.  The main diet can therefore be supplemented with the following items:-

 

  1. Canned  -  Cat Food (Meat based not fish)
  2. Cooked Chicken, Mince or Lamb
  3. Boiled or Scrambled Egg
  4. Cottage Cheese

 

(All of my hoglets have been offered the above items in order to prevent “fussy” eaters).

 

In addition, live foods are also warmly welcomed by most hedgehogs which include:-

 

Crickets and Meal Worms – obtainable from Simply Exotics

 

It is important to highlight that these foods should only be offered as a treat, perhaps once or twice per week as they are high in fats.  Fruits and vegetables may also be offered in the form of apple, tomato, peas, mashed potato and broccoli.  However, many hedgehogs generally tend to show little interest in such foods.  A way round this problem is to combine food items e.g. a little canned cat food together with a little cooked chicken and vegetables.  This ensures that the hedgehogs are consuming healthy foods which also provide a valuable source of vitamins.

 

Fresh water should always be available to the hoglets.  My hedgehogs drink from small ceramic bowls (these are easier to clean and they seem to find this less difficult than drinking from a water bottle).  However, if you decide to introduce them to a water bottle, please ensure that a bowl is also available until you are certain that he/she is drinking a sufficient amount from the bottle.

 

HOUSING


African Pygmy Hedgehogs are solitary animals in nature and only meet up together in order to mate and so it is advisable to house them separately.  However, a small number of hedgehog keepers have claimed to keep a small number of females together without experiencing any problems providing ample space is provided.  Keeping more than one male together in the same cage will almost certainly lead to fighting.

 

THE CAGE


The cage should be placed away from drafts and direct sunlight to avoid stressing the hedgehog.  Varying types of caging is used by many hedgehog keepers and breeders.  The most common of these are indoor cages designed for guinea pigs or rabbits (e.g. Ferplast Duna and Zoozone Cages)

 

BEDDING

 

I would recommend a layer of wood shaving to cover the bottom of the cage.  Shredded paper can also be used.  It is important here to highlight the dangers of using straw as bedding.  Problems with using straw have frequently been experienced by other hedgehog keepers, hence why I have never used it.  Straw and some types of hay can easily become wound around the legs of a hedgehog and may cut off the blood supply to the legs if action is not promptly taken.

 

SLEEPING QUARTERS


It is important to provide a secure hiding place for your hoglet to sleep in.  This may be in the form of a wooden next box or a hut, a wooden log, cardboard tubes and shoe boxes, plastic igloos or bread bins.

 

TOYS


Toys are warmly welcomed by hedgehogs.  The best investment would be a large exercise wheel (I use a 12” wheel used for ferrets).  Wheels provide an important source of exercise for our hedgehog, and help to prevent boredom and health problems such as fatty liver and obesity.  However, do ensure that the wheels are solid as many hedgehogs can catch their feet in the bars of those without a solid base.  Such wheels can be purchased from Simply Exotics.  In addition to exercise wheels hedgehogs also like tubes and balls which they can push around their cage with their noses.  Small toys available for cats or ferrets containing bells are especially favourable for hedgehogs.  African Pygmy Hedgehogs are adventurous in nature and also enjoy exploring tunnels on any kind whether they are plastic or cardboard.  I usually place small amounts of food around the cage in the evenings (in tunnels etc) to provide some stimulation for the hedgehogs and keep them occupied.


TEMPERATURE

African Pygmy Hedgehogs are best kept at around 70-75 degrees (that of a comfortably heated house).  If the temperature is significantly lower than this, hedgehogs will attempt to hibernate (something that should not be allowed as it can prove to be fatal for the hedgehog).  During the colder months or if all round heating is a problem, small heat pads can be placed underneath the sleeping quarters of the cage.

 

CLEANING OUT


I clean my hedgehogs out thoroughly once per week.  In between such times, any heavily soiled areas can be scooped out.  I currently use washing up liquid for general cleaning and a non-scented disinfectant for heavily soiled areas.  Please note that any cleaning products with a heavy smell can upset the hedgehogs.

 

BRINGING YOUR HOGLET HOME


The journey home combined with a change in environment can be a stressful time for your hedgehog.  I have provided you with some of your hoglets regular food and bedding in order to try and keep the stress levels to a minimum.  Even with such measures in place it is highly likely that your hoglet will be very shy or even grumpy, and may even go off its food for the first few days (this is to be expected).  It is probably best to avoid handling him/her for a least a day or two to give the hoglet time to adjust to the new environment.

 

In addition, your hoglet is around the age to start quilling which can unfortunately sometimes make them a little irritable.  Baby hedgehogs will shed their baby “spikes” which are replaced by adults ones around 8/12 weeks of age.  You may notice your hoglet scratching a little, as it can be quite itchy for them (don’t worry – this is a natural process).

 

It may take a couple of weeks before your hoglet has settled in properly, and your patience is required (however, it is worth the wail).  It is important to continue handling them during this period – even if they may seem unwilling.  This is best done in a quiet environment in the early evening (when your hedgehog begins to wake up).

 

Hedgehogs do not liked to be petted but will be happy to sit on the palm of your hand or walk form hand to hand like smaller rodents.  It is probably best to handle them initially for short periods of time (5/10 minutes), which can gradually be increased as your hoglet begins to relax in your presence.

 

I hope that you enjoy your hoglet and that this information will help you as you embark on your own adventure with your African Pygmy Hedgehog



Please remember that when considering the purchase of an African Pygmy Hedgehog they will need to be looked after on a daily basis - spot cleaning their homes, changing water dishes, cleaning feed dishes and cleaning their wheels all have to be done daily.  Let your choggie have a run around outside of their cage to have some exercise and most importantly, handle them on a daily basis - the more you can put in to your choggie, the more you will get out of them.

SIMPLY EXOTICS HEDGEHOGS ARE PROUD TO BE HELPERS TO THE AFRICAN PYGMY HEDGEHOG RESCUE SOCIETY

The National Exotic Hedgehog Rescue website is a central place to organize the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of all types of exotic Hedgehogs and their relatives. We specialize in African Pygmy Hedgehogs, Long-Eared Hedgehogs, Lesser Tenrecs, Greater Tenrecs and Common Tenrecs, although we will take in any spiny / prickly creature.

http://www.homelesslittlefockers.com/


I love my African Pygmy Hedgehogs but did want to try my hand at breeding another mammal and after a lot of research and careful consideration I decided to go for Tenrecs.

Meet Orinocho and Madame Cholet

Madame Cholet
Orinocho
Orinocho and Madame Cholet

Although these may look like hedgehogs they are a different mammal altogether.  They have wispy little claws that help them to climb and their grip is really quite strong.  They have a funny waddling type of walk but I am aware that they are really quick when they want to be.  Their diet consists of dry cat biscuits, mixed vegetables (carrot is a favourite) and insects.

They normally breed in the spring time and they will successfully raise one litter and possible even a second - they do not breed as profically as the African Pygmy Hedgehogs although they are weaned at approx. 4 weeks of age!

The male has a slightly musky smell but this is not an overpowering smell and hardly noticeable.  A quirky fact is that they secrete a milky substance from their eyes when they are sexually mature and in the vicinity of each other - when I first saw this I thought Orinoco had an eye infection! 

They do have the ability to ball up but this is something that I have not witnessed to date.  Their spines are not as spikey as the African Pygmy Hedgehogs infact they are really soft.



We now have Nora our female Desert Hedgehog - we have a male Desert Hedgehog arriving shortly and will be breeding from these in the near future.