Since it’s not common practice to spay hedgehogs, it’s very possible for you to bring home a pregnant hedgehog. Hedgehogs reach sexual maturity as soon as 5 months old and can reproduce any time between April and September.
If you suspect that your hedgehog is pregnant or currently has a pregnant hedgehog, it’s vital to address their specific care needs. We’ll review essential information on identifying and caring for pregnant hedgehogs and answer common questions many hedgehog owners have about hedgehog litters, which usually have four to five babies.
How Many Babies Do Hedgehogs Have? (A Closer Look)
A baby hedgehog is called a hoglet. Hedgehogs typically have four to five hoglets in a litter, but they can have up to seven babies at a time. Although hedgehog litters average between four to five hoglets, usually only about two or three survive and live long enough to live independently from their mothers.
In the wild, the mating season takes place in the spring after hedgehogs awaken from hibernation. Pregnant hedgehogs have gestation periods that last about 35 days. Most hoglets are born between June and July.
Female hedgehogs usually have one litter per mating season. However, if they have their first litter relatively early in mating season, they can also have a second litter by late summer.
Unfortunately, hoglets in these second litters are less likely to survive because they’re born very close to hibernation season. Hedgehogs need time to gain weight to go into hibernation, and many young hoglets are still growing and don’t have time to bulk up in weight.
Therefore, hoglets of second litters need special care so that they can survive the winter season. They can’t hibernate, they’ll need extra food and attention so that they can live through the season.
What Do Hedgehogs Do When They Are Pregnant?
Female hedgehogs often show common signs when they’re pregnant. They’ll start looking for food more frequently and may even wake up to forage for food during the day. They’ll also have an increased appetite and might also have bigger stools.
Pregnant hedgehogs will also begin to gain more weight, and you’ll notice a rounder belly near the end of the gestation period. If you suspect that your hedgehog is pregnant, you can always start weighing them daily to see if there’s any weight gain.
Hedgehogs will also start to forage around for material to build a nest. You might see a pregnant hedgehog gathering bedding in a specific area of the enclosure as a means of preparing to give birth to her litter.
