Hedgehogs are fascinating animals; so much so, if you’re looking for a low-maintenance pet, look no further than a hedgehog.
Like other mammals, hedgehogs give birth to babies, called hoglets, then raise them until they are ready to be on their own, which does not take that long at all!
Hedgehogs reach sexual maturity during their second year of life
Therefore, they can reproduce and usually do every year until they die.
If you’re wondering when hedgehogs give birth, the answer is:
Most female hedgehogs give birth sometime in June, although some may give birth in early fall. Unfortunately, the early fall babies do not always survive the winter because they do not have enough time to develop the body fat needed to sustain them throughout the winter.
When hedgehogs do give birth in June, they can have anywhere from four to seven hoglets. Hoglets only stay with their mothers for a few weeks before joining them in foraging for food.
The Timeline of Hedgehog Breeding
In case you’d like to know what hedgehogs do throughout the year, here is their usual timeline:
- January to February: Most hedgehogs are in hibernation during this time. They will be fairly inactive unless disturbed or the weather warms up unusually.
- March: Hedgehogs are starting to emerge from hibernation. They can lose around one third of their body weight while hibernating, so their primary goal at this point is to eat as much as they can.
- April: Hedgehogs at this point will typically do two things. First, they are trying to build up the body fat they lost over the winter. Second, they are beginning their search for good nesting sites.
- May: This marks the start of the mating season. The males will circle the females until one decides to mate with him, then he leaves, having no part of raising young.
- June: The female hedgehogs gestate for about four weeks and then give birth. When the hoglets are too young to leave the nest, the mother goes forages, returns and feeds them.
- July: When the hoglets are three to four weeks old, they will accompany their mother forages. Although they are learning what to eat (and not eat) they will still return to the nest for mother’s milk.
- August: The hoglets will begin to prepare to be independent. They will explore on their own and generally will not encounter their siblings.
- September: Some females will give birth a second time in September or October. However, these babies are not as likely to survive the winter as the babies born in June.
- October: Hedgehogs will begin to eat lots of food again and begin building nests to prepare for hibernation.
- November to December: The majority of hedgehogs will begin their process of hibernation in November and for most, will remain in hibernation until March.
Here is what the regular life looks like for a hedgehog.
If the winter is milder than usual the hoglet season could start in early spring and continue into the fall.
While a mother can give birth to up to seven hoglets at a time, it is common that her best outcome will be to wean two to three.
So, what happens then?
Less known fact: many times the mother will abandon or eat the hoglet if she is disturbed in some way. In fact, mothers have been seen carrying a hoglet in its mouth to a new location and leaving it there.
What Is Their Mating Practice Like?
When the hedgehogs are ready to mate, the male can be observed snorting and puffing in rhythmic fashion, a feat often accompanied by some sort of circling behavior.
Because of the racket, rival males will show up to the scene and begin fighting each other.
Often, hedgehogs are observed chasing one another and even head-butts one another to win the female.
If you live in an area that has hedgehogs nearby, you can even hear this racket as it can get quite loud.
When the female is ready to mate, she will also exhibit a body position that includes the flattening of her spines before the male mounts her from behind.
Interestingly enough, it is common for male and female hedgehogs to exhibit promiscuous behavior.
It is encouraged behavior to have more than one mate for both male and female hedgehogs, in fact.
When hedgehogs give birth, it typically takes about two minutes, although sometimes it could take several hours.
When the babies are birthed, they will weigh less than an ounce each.
Interesting Tidbits About Hedgehogs
In addition to only giving birth one to two times per year, hedgehogs also have some other interesting facts that you may not realize.
Here are some:
- There are a few conditional events where a hedgehog can lose its quills. For instance, baby hedgehogs will lose their baby quills before getting their adult quills, much like how humans lose their teeth.
- If your hedgehog is making a huffing or puffing sound, then it is a happy little critter. If your hedgehog is making hissing or clicking sounds, it is not a happy little critter.
- Hedgehogs enjoy a wide range of food; many hedgehog owners may feed their hedgehogs cat food. If you want to treat your hedgehog to a special treat (that they will certainly love), then try to toss a cricket or mealworm in there, and hedgehog will love you forever!
- Yes, hedgehogs can float! If you were to put them in water, they will curl up in a ball and float on their back. There are really cute videos on YouTube of hedgehogs floating on water during bath time.
- Did you know that hedgehogs appear to be immune to snake venom (for the most part)? They are known to have a protein in their muscles which allows them to be bitten by, but not die from a snake.
Final Thoughts
Besides learning when hedgehogs give birth and the gestation timetable, you also have a couple of weird facts about these interesting little animals.