Hedgehogs have become very special to a lot of people just because of their beauty and cute appearance. Many people have selected to keep them as a pets. And few of them have very little knowledge about hedgehogs. So, it is very essential to gain knowledge about pets before adopting them. Along with having some guidance about their food and diet, it is also very important to know how they reproduce. Or do hedgehogs lay eggs?
One essential question is, do hedgehogs lay eggs or have live babies?
The simple and suitable answer to this question is no. Hedgehogs do not lay eggs. They are called mammals. And not even mammals like marsupials. They are mammals who have live births.
Hedgehogs may look the same as echidnas, but in reality, they are different species. Echidnas are members of the Tachyglossidae family and are egg-laying mammals. Hedgehogs belong to the Erinaceinae family and are not egg laying but they have live births.
What Are The Differences And Similarities Between Hedgehogs And Echidnas?
What Is Echidna?
Echidnas are known as spiny anteaters. Because of their facial appearance, they resemble anteaters. That’s why called spiny anteaters. These are mammals that lay eggs on earth.
They look like anteaters of South America and many mammals including hedgehogs and porcupines. They are mostly brown or black. Albino echidnas have several reports though. These sport white spines and pink eyes.
Echidnas have very strong and short limbs with large claws, and because of this, they are strong excavators.
The hedgehog and echidnas have spines. This is the biggest similarity between them. They also link in some other ways. Hedgehogs are placental mammals, and echidnas are monotremes. Echidnas are insectivores and depend on insects, worms, and bugs. While hedgehogs are omnivores, feeding on anything.
Hedgehogs can have many babies at once while echidnas lay one egg at a time, fertilized soft-shelled egg.
Do Hedgehogs Lay Eggs, or How Do They Reproduce?
The answer to this question is that hedgehog males usually dance in front of females before mating. In response, females react very ferociously and violently at first. This violence is expressed in the way she uplifts her spines perilously.
And this will generate serious injury if he tries to mate with her at that time. If she wants to mate her then she allows him to mate her. And she would be pregnant. From this point, the countdown begins.
Hedgehogs have a pregnancy period of about 35 days. Their mom would put a bed for a litter of about 4 to 5 hoglets who are blind and deaf at birth. They come into the world in developed form and ready to nurse right away.
Usually, there is no need for special treatment and care and the hoglets are mature enough to eat some solid material after two to three weeks. They came out of the nest and they can now shift for themselves.
How Do Hedgehogs Give Birth? Do Hedgehogs Lay Eggs?
The answer to the question of how hedgehogs give birth is that the female hedgehog prepared a nest for birth. When the time of birth comes, the female hedgehog lies on her side. She can also stand as well with her rear end uplifted. Then, she gives birth to hoglets. The process of delivery can last from some minutes to a few hours.
These babies are born with a fluid covered within, that hides the spines. This layer is very helpful. During birth, a female hedgehog does not hurt just because of this fluid layer.
The babies are either born tail or headfirst. After delivery, the mother eats membranes and the placenta. She slurps her babies until they are clean. Thus, the hedgehog gives birth to their babies in this way.
What Are Baby Hedgehogs Called?
The babies of hedgehogs are known as hoglets. For the first 24 hours, the hoglets mother stayed with them. After this, she leaves them and goes out to search. The babies stay together and huddle for warmth while the mother goes out for food.
How Many Babies Does a Hedgehog Have| How Do Hedgehogs Have Babies?
A hedgehog will give birth to approximately four to five babies. These are deaf and blind during birth. After almost two weeks, the hoglets gain hearing and vision. And after birth, they are ready for nursing.
Moreover, it takes two or three weeks for the hoglets to start eating solid foods. After the babies had been nursed, they went out from their nest to start their events.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Do Hedgehogs Mate?
The question is how do hedgehogs mate? Reveals a distinctive and intriguing aspect of hedgehog behavior. In this mating process, often initiated by the male, the courtship involves a meticulous and prolonged circling of the female, a ritual that can last for several hours. This nocturnal activity is central to understanding how hedgehogs mate. Is a delicate dance that precedes the actual mating and is crucial for successfully reproducing these unique creatures.
How Many Eggs Does a Hedgehog Lay?
Hedgehogs do not lay eggs. Hedgehogs are known as mammals. And not even like marsupials. They are mammals that have live births. They give birth to young instead of eggs.
How Does a Hedgehog Give Birth?
The female hedgehog instantly turns and eats the placenta and membranes. Then she drubbed the baby to clean during the process. It is also said that she then takes her babies and puts them under her belly until the process is done.
How Many Babies Can a Hedgehog Have?
Usually, a hedgehog can give birth to four or six babies. And have almost 10. The male hedgehog is not involved in rearing baby hedgehogs. Moreover, they are born after 35 days of pregnancy.
Where do Hedgehogs Give Birth?
The mother hedgehog will live in far places from the male hedgehog. They live in a nest. They prefer noiseless and calm places mostly. Moreover, they find precedence nesting points that are warm.
How Long Does a Hedgehog Live?
A wild hedgehog may live approximately an average of two to three years. While a domestic hedgehog may live for almost seven years or more with proper attention and care.
How Long Do Hedgehog Lay Eggs?
Hedgehogs don’t lay eggs. They are mammals, and instead of laying eggs, they give birth to live babies. Female hedgehogs, also known as sows, typically have a gestation period of approximately four to six weeks.
Conclusion
Though, as we know hedgehogs are mammals. They are also known as placental mammals because their babies are born when they are developed and ready to come into the world. Thus, it means that their eggs are wholly fertilized inside their bodies. And there is no need for pouches or anything.
Hence, the main question of whether hedgehogs lay eggs or not is perfectly answered in this article. They are not egg-laying mammals. They give birth to properly developed babies.