In this article, we explore the anatomy and structure of a hedgehog penis, along with prevalent urogenital disorders that can affect these distinctive animals. We present detailed information to guide hedgehog owners in understanding and maintaining their pets’ reproductive health.
Do you have a baby hedgehog pet, and he is growing faster? Over time, you may become curious to know whether your pet is male or female. There are many traditional facts to know, it is like what most pet owners observe in their hedgehogs. The one I would be anxious to tell is the behavior if your hedgehog looks aggressive, habitation, temperaments, and more.
It’s important to know about the sexual health of your hedgehog. Notably, hedgehogs can mate in the first 8 weeks. However, it is not recommended by breeders because it can be dangerous for females and can cause health issues.
Do You Know Your Baby Hedgehog As a Boy or a Girl?
In general, physical differences show us whether the baby is male or female. If your hoglet contains a penile sheath in the middle of the hedgehog’s belly, then it’s a boy hedgehog. Instead, the female hedgehog has an anus and urine valve very close to each other.
While buying a male or female hedgehog depends on your choice. In actuality, there is no major difference in attitude, body structure, and hedgehog habits of both genders. When you become familiar with them, they never become aggressive or don’t feel any threat.
What Is a Male Hedgehog Called?
Mostly, male hoglets are termed as boars. Similarly, if you’re having the curiosity about the question; what is a female hedgehog called? and the answer is female hoglets are called sows. You may not feel any odor difference in male and female hoglets. Notably, the female hedgehog does not contain a menstrual cycle.
While Exploring The Male Hedgehog, What Important Discussion Could Be Made?
Undoubtedly, by exploring male hedgehogs, we will find many discussions on the Internet or in hedgehog groups. There are some articles we can get on the Internet but as experience makes the men perfect, so we have collected the data from fifty owners of the Hedgehogs.
Hedgehog Penis Structure, Disorders, And Habits
Hedgehogs are tiny, spiny-shaped creatures. As they hold a low body with less weight, easy maintenance, and calm characters, therefore they are considered lovely pets. So, it’s worthwhile to know about their health issues, reproduction, and habitats.
Also, it’s important to know about their anatomy to understand their medical care and nutrition needs, including surgery if needed. Hedgehog penis is an important topic to discuss as it’s directly related to the health of a male hedgehog.
Hedgehog Penis Structure
When you start collecting data about the hedgehog penis, it is a must to become amazed by how all systems are set in their little penile sheath. It’s a wonder how in the penile sheath, the structure of a penis has been covered in the foreskin. Also, the penile structure that makes an appearance from the prepuce is a pole at the end and that is called the meatus also termed as the glance penis. There are lateral horns on each side of the meatus.
- The penis of the European hedgehog is the glans penis. It’s a glance penis, having no corpus spongiosum.
- The end of the penis has a urethra, which keeps the urethral process.
- On both sides of the hedgehog penis, there are two black-structured nail-like spots. You can observe them.
- The lower part of the penis has rounded formed and contains a blind sacculus urethralis. Also, there is a median splitting below the urethra.
- Microscopically, the extended penile bulb does not seem corpus spongiosum gland, but it can be seen in the free part, in the beginning.
Below we have uploaded the pics of Hedgehogs and penis graphics as well.
Hedgehog Testes
Mainly, the male hedgehog does not contain the structure of testes like other mammals. In a research, researchers took eight sexually mature European Hedgehogs (male), to get the anatomical characteristics. Different aspects were thoroughly explored, including gross penile diameter and length, by using digital calipers.
- The European hedgehog contains invisible oval testes that are found in the inguinal region. Notably, they do not contain true scrotal acinus.
- Also, the testes are pinpointed in the craniofacial command as having dorsolateral epididymis fitment.
- The vesicular glands are the largest associated sex glands. These are loculated and structured, having ventrolateral and dorsomedial parts found on each side.
Sperm Count
Below, we have illustrated a table for you to better understand the value of dicks sperm count according to its body weight and testes. We have selected big Hedgehogs as well as small ones. The results are showing the more body mass, the lesser sperm count. There is no defined mystery behind it yet.
| Body Mass (grams) | Testes Mass (grams) | Sperm Count |
| 292 | 1.24 | 151,200,000 |
| 375 | 1.04 | 115,700,000 |
| 402 | 1.05 | 163,300,000 |
Hedgehog Erection
In the season of mating, the absence of a partner female hedgehog results in an erection. As the pets can’t tell us, so this is the way they make us feel about their season. Even though erection can happen in babies and also toddlers, at that age, it does not mean they need sex. It’s the symbol of sexual maturity in hedgehogs. But also, it’s not an exact cause of the erection.
Images of a hedgehog
Male Hedgehog Genitalia and Sexuality
The male penis is situated in the center of the abdomen, inside what resembles a “belly button.” That is most definitely not a belly button, we assure you.
In addition to being the penile sheath, this region is known as the umbilical region. From that hole, the penis protrudes when the male hedgehog becomes enthusiastic about a female. Although their penis’s anatomical anatomy differs from what one may think, that is not the topic of this discussion. You may read more about it here if you’d like.
Aside from mating season, the male hedgehogs prefer to spend most of the year by themselves. Following mating, hedgehogs often return to their solitary lifestyles, with the male not participating in the caring of the young.
Health Care Of Hedgehogs
Male and female hoglets and hedgehogs contain obvious dissimilar reproductive and urogenital systems. Let’s have a brief look.
Health Tips For Male And Female Hedgehogs:
The male hedgehog penis is placed in the penile sheath. Only the way it is exposed is the duration of urination, occasion self-stimulation, and also breeding.
As male Hedgehogs are low near the ground, therefore the hedgehog dick may become closer to the floor. Undoubtedly, there is a chance the bedding may stick to the appeared hedgehog penis, and result in any sort of irritation. Also, it may cause infection in the penis hump or result in swollen dicks and redness of the hedgehog penis.
Recommendations:
- The owner of the hedgehog must do good bedding. Consequently, this action reduces the incidents and serious damages.
- Secondly, gentle cleaning and bathing can be sufficient resolution of this problem.
- If the situation of the hedgehog penis area is not looking satisfactory, then you must take your pet to veterinary care.
- Female Hedgehogs are also close to grounds, so they also can be affected by bad bedding. It can cause reproductive and urinary issues.
- The female Hedgehogs contain induced ovulators. Therefore, their reproduction cycle is restorative only in the presence of male hedgehogs. It’s simply opposite to human cyclic ovulation.
- Notably, it is observed that breeding significantly increases the danger to health, especially in birth and pregnancy.
Is Your Hedgehog Suffering From Any Urogenital Disorder?
Urogenital disorders are very common in Hedgehogs. If you observe, you will come to know that bad or unhealthy food and environment can affect the urinary system of Hedgehogs. So, here are some urogenital disorders that you need to know:
Urinary Tract Problem:
Some bacteria when attacking your hedgehog, start to cause inflammation. It is mainly common in female hedgehogs because they have small urinary tracts and the anal area is very close to the outside part of the body. Moreover, to detect the problem, you need to look keenly few things:
- Are there any blood spots or blood in urine?
- Does your hedgehog change the way of urination?
- Does your hedgehog start spitting small amounts of urine at different places?
- Is there any straining of urine?
These types of problems are detectable easily. Also, there is a good and recoverable cure for urinary tract issues. You just need to inform the doctor of the proper timing.
Genital Itching:
All the time, you need to keep an eye on your hedgehog because these creatures are very sensitive. Specifically, the urinary system and penis have extreme levels of sensitivity. Therefore, you have to see whether your hedgehog is getting irritated due to genital itching or not.
The genital areas are very low to the earth, during breeding, their genital parts can get stuck which causes pain and irritation. Moreover, you should not use cat litter or any non-clumping clay, as it can easily cause itching to your hedgehog’s penis.
Furthermore, the penis of hedgehog is present at the lowest part of the body. When they get down to urinate, the urine can fall on the penile sheath. It causes severe irritation and smell usually. The stuck bedding stops the urination process and becomes a cause of genital infections.
The solution to this problem is that you just need to make your hedgehog walk on the warm water. It will soften the genital part and remove the waste from the penis completely.
Yeast Attack:
Dirty and unhealthy bedding makes the immune system of hedgehogs weak. Also, it damages the frightening cells so that yeast gets enough space to attack the genital system of the hedgehog. Moreover, the yeast mainly attacks the female’s vagina. It is because, during bedding, there is excretion of material that can easily get mixed with yeast. So, to prevent it, provide a clean and hygienic surface for your pets.
Cancerous diseases:
When the bacteria or yeast exceeds the limit of infection, it can change into cancer. This is the last and the most severe stage of the hedgehog’s penis disease. Specifically, the yeast and fungus make fiber walls inside the penis and block the urine. It is commonly present in female hedgehogs, so prevent your hedgehog from breeding with such a partner. Otherwise, it can be transmitted from one hedgehog to another easily.
FAQs
Q1- What makes a difference between male and female hedgehog?
Ans: The Male hedgehog has a penile sheath in the middle of the belly, while the female has a vagina and anus.
Q2- What is the structure of a Hedgehog’s penis?
Ans: A foreskin covers the penile structure of the hedgehog. There is a pole at the end of the penile, which is known as the meatus. And there are lateral horns on the sides of the meatus.
Q3- What is the other name of male hedgehogs?
Ans: Usually, we call male hedgehogs as boars. Notably, male hedgehogs have no menstrual cycle.
Q4- What are the diseases that you can see in Hedgehog’s penis?
Ans: You can usually see genital problems, itching, urinary system leakage, yeast attack diseases, cancer, spitting of urine, and bacterial attacks.
Q5- What is the basic solution for a hedgehog’s penis disease?
Ans: If the problem is the critic and there is a change in your hedgehog’s urinary behavior, then just try to make him pass through warm water. The warm and hygienic water will soften the penis and makes it leave the waste from the penis.
Q7- Does a hedgehog contain testes?
Ans: From the research, you can find that the male hedgehogs have no testes balls. Eventually, after different experiments, it is stated that they have invisible balls but no true scrotal acinus. The vesicular glands are the largest associated sex glands, as present on each side.
Q8- What are the basic tips to keep your hedgehog healthy?
Ans: The basic tips include:
- Neat and clean bedding
- Give bath to hedgehog
- Make the wheel bucket clean
- Make him walk from warm water
- Provide beneficial food
Q9- Does bedding affect the hedgehog’s penis?
Ans: Yes, bedding can affect the hedgehog’s penis severely. If the bed is dirty, it can capture yeast, bacteria, and fungi that cause severe disorders. So, you need to clean it twice a week to protect your hedgehog from diseases.
Q10- Is there any connection between weight and the sperm production of the hedgehog?
Ans: If the body mass of the hedgehog comes under 300 grams, he will produce 151,200,000 sperms. When the body weight increases and the testes weight decreases. While the production of sperm increases with the body weight.
Conclusion
I conclude that it is very important to keep the genitalia of your hedgehog healthy. Hedgehog penis is quite sensitive and tricky to handle. You just need to keep your hedgehog clean and check his body after two to three days. Majorly, if you notice any change, bring your pet to your veterinary doctor.