As cute as baby hedgehogs are, the way they’re born is a different story. This Instagram video by @animal_around.us shows just how quickly hoglets are born, and also how exhausting it is for a mama hedgehog. They grow up almost as quickly, with most hedgehogs maturing in less than one year. And these remarkable hoglets are capable of a variety of different skills at a young age, considering they are born without developed senses.
How Are Hedgehog Hoglets Born?
A hedgehog’s birthing process is extremely delicate, particularly in the hours just before the mother gives birth. Her state is so fragile that even minor disturbances, such as the presence of a human, can disrupt it. In fact, the video above is so rare, because so few hedgehog births are captured on film. A female hedgehog is pregnant for only four weeks before she goes into labor. The process is relatively quick, with most female hedgehogs giving birth overnight. By morning, between three and seven new hoglets are ready to greet the world.
Hedgehog births are a rare thing to witness because a mother in labor is sensitive to external changes.
©Instagam/discover.animal
The entire birthing process can take anywhere from several minutes to several hours, depending on the mother. She remains with her hoglets for the first 24 hours but will abandon them if she senses a threat. In the wild, she rears her young on her own. Along with her hoglets, she remains in a nest of twigs and leaves while she nurses, cleans, and stimulates them to encourage bowel movements. This process goes on for several weeks before the hoglets are left to forage on their own.
When Do Hedgehogs Get Their Quills?
Hedgehogs are born with their quills intact, so how does the mother avoid injury while giving birth? This is possible due to a membrane that covers the hoglet’s quills at birth. The mother consumes these membranes, along with the placenta, after the babies are born. Once the membrane is gone, their soft, flexible quills are revealed. Similar to baby teeth, these softer quills fall out during a process called “quilling.” Over the first few weeks of their life outside the womb, hoglets develop stiff adult quills.
Stiff quills begin growing a few weeks after hoglets are born, and during this time, their adult coloring also begins to show.
©Best dog photo/Shutterstock.com
Hoglets are also born blind and gain their sight during the first weeks of life. Their baby-pink coloring soon fades as they take on the colors of an adult hedgehog, which are typically tan, brown, and white or cream-colored. Their noses and faces become darker, and they grow more than twice their size. Some hoglets continue to grow until they’re roughly one year old; however, they reach full maturity at around 6 to 8 months old.
