Five Hedgehog Babies Born at Oregon Zoo

The staff at the Oregon Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth of five babe hedgehogs.

Hakuna Matata, an African Pygmy hedgehog, gave birth to a litter of five hoglets on July 7 at the Oregon Zoo. The three-week-old hoglets, weighing just a tenth of a pound each, when curled up in a ball they are similar to the size of a doughnut hole. Although the keepers haven't identified the gender of the hoglets yet, they assume that the litter includes three males and two females.

Looking at the video of the prickly hoglets, the keepers said that two babies resemble mother Hakuna Matata with black-eyed cinnicot and lots of white spines; the other three are similar to their father Burundi, who is a dark gray. The quills of these hoglets are in fact modified hairs that fall and grow back throughout their lives.

"When we think of African predators, we often think of lions and cheetahs and painted dogs," said Tanya Paul, who supervises the zoo's education program animals. "But African pygmy hedgehogs are a great example of a smaller predator that is also important. They are insectivores, so they help keep bug populations down. They can also tolerate a fair amount of toxins in their diet, and sometimes will even feast on scorpions."

The litter of hoglets is currently not viewable to the zoo goers, but the zoo staff is working on various methods to allow people to glance the babies that have been weaned. They can, however, view the adult hedgehogs that are currently housed at the Family Farm exhibit.

Though they are adorable to look at, they are terrifying as pets. "They're very difficult to care for because of their diet and the need for special veterinary care," Paul said. "Many vets don't specialize in treating exotic animals like a hedgehog."

Hedgehogs, the nocturnal animal is native to Europe, Africa and Asia. They feed on frogs, lizards, mice, snakes and insects and live in woodlands and grasslands. They are omnivores and are related to gymnures and shrews. An individual hedgehog is known to have 5,000-6,000 quills. The gestation period lasts for about 35-58 days and the litter usually includes 4-5 young ones. The lifespan of these animals is seven years.

Hedgehogs are part of the Oregon Zoo's education programs. They eat Hedgehog Maintenance Chow by Pretty Pets, supplemented by insects and occasionally fruit.