Hoglet's Firsts
Handled at approximately seven days
Anointing at approximately seven days
Curling into a ball at or before nine days
First baby fur appears at about fifteen days
Eyes open at about eighteen days
Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4
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Fig 1: Tyrone, Pemur, and Lessa exhibit youthful enthusiasm
as they clamber all over me. Clockwise from left: Tyrone, Pemur, Lessa
Fig. 2: Pemur wants a piece of me, or so it seems
Fig. 3: Mommy Pike, distracted from her babies by a romp
in the grass, demonstrates proper self-anointing techniques
Fig. 4: Lessa can't resist tasting my hand
Each baby has had a distinct personality since its first socialization, and these seem to hold true even now, after they have been weaned for almost two months. Tyrone, a.k.a. T-rex, takes after Pike. He tends to curl up and hiss at very slight provocation, but early handling has made him a lot easier to calm. Pemur, a.k.a. Peewee, takes after Kerbi. He is very laid back as to sights and sudden noises, but very curious. He is easy to handle and submissive towards other hedgehogs. Lessa, a.k.a. Molly, is the most curious of the three hoglets, and in temperament she is just about in the middle of the spectrum. She shows a distinct preference for her owner (Pike's previous owner) but can be held easily by others provided they take care not to startle her. Once she adjusts to a person, she loves to explore, often climbing straight up an unsuspecting admirer's arm!
Pike has proved herself to be an excellent mother and a great brood-sow. She seems to have broken every rule in the hedgehog books with her first pregnancy and litter. Pike is about one year old, just the right age for a first-time mother.
First of all, Pike became pregnant after just one night with Kerbi. This is nearly unheard of; hedgehog care guides advise that it takes at least 2-3 days for a female to become receptive and breed successfully. Through either pure luck or Pike's superior reproductive health, one night was enough for this sow!
Second, Pike was visited by Kerbi DURING her pregnancy. In this situation, most sows will go into labor early and deliver their babies, then share a midnight snack with the boar. Pike avoided miscarriage for an entire week in close quarters with a male.
Third, Pike's babies were handled far before weaning. This would normally result, again, in the hoglets' premature death. Pike hissed and snapped at anyone removing a baby from her nest, but from one week until weaning age all three hoglets were handled almost every day. Pike is extremely antisocial, so her extra-strong maternal instincts were a complete surprise. (Note: I do not advocate handling newborns, but I did so because Pike's owner at the time had already removed them from their nest several times with no ill effect, and the babies would most likely benefit from socialization)
Pike's temperament has improved slightly with frequent
handling since she came to stay with me, but she still has a long way to
go. Pike has gotten to the point where she will lick and nibble my hand
for several minutes, then self anoint. Holding Pike and Kerbi at the same
time calms Pike slightly, as well as providing a companion for Kerbi. Slight
noises still startle Pike, though she's getting better slowly. Kerbi and
Angel were both difficult to socialize, but Pike is my biggest challenge
yet.
Chicken and Mealworms, out
Hogmistress
UPDATE!!!!
Each of the hoglets now has its own loving home. Lessa stayed with Pike's former owner, while Pemur now lives with a middle school girl. Tyrone was the most idfficult to place, but ended up with a high school senior.