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Review article| Volume 7, ISSUE 2, P257-267, May 2004

Hedgehog care and husbandry

      The African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) is a small insectivorous mammal that originates from across central Africa. They are characterized by their spiny upper coat and their white furred underbelly. Captive African hedgehogs weigh between 250 to 600 g, and their life span in captivity may be up to 10 years [
      • Hoefer H.L
      Exotic pet medicine II: hedgehogs.
      ], although the average life span is closer to 5 to 7 years.
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      References

        • Hoefer H.L
        Exotic pet medicine II: hedgehogs.
        Vet Clin North Am. 1994; 24: 113-120
        • Reeve N.J
        Hedgehogs.
        T. & A.D. Poyser, London1994
      1. Ivey ES, Carpenter JW. Hedgehogs. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, editors. Ferrets, rabbits, and rodents. 2nd edition. February 2004.

        • Smith A.J
        Husbandry and medicine of African hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris).
        J Small Exotic Anim Med. 1992; 2: 21-28
        • Wallach I.D
        • Boever W.I
        Insectivora.
        in: Diseases of exotic animals. WB Saunders, Philadelphia1983: 653-662
        • Carpenter J.W
        Diseases and medicine of the African hedgehog.
        Tufts Animal Expo. 2002;
      2. Allen ME. The nutrition of insectivorous mammals. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, Oakland, CA, 1992. p. 113–5.

      3. Done LB, Dietze M, Cranfield M, et al. Necropsy lesions by body systems in African hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris): clues to clinical diagnosis. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, Oakland, CA, 1992. p. 110–2.

        • Handeland K
        • Refsum T
        • Johansen B.S
        • et al.
        Prevalence of Salmonella typhimurium infection in Norwegian hedgehog populations associated with two human disease outbreaks.
        Epidemiol Infect. 2002; 128: 523-527
        • Donnelly T.M
        • Rush E.M
        • Lackner P.A
        Ringworm in small exotic pets.
        Semin Avian Exotic Pet Med. 2000; 9: 82-93
      4. Hoefer HL. Clinical approach to the pet hedgehog. Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference, 2001.

        • Lightfoot T.L
        Clinical examination of chinchillas, hedgehogs, prairie dogs, and sugar gliders.
        Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 1999; 2: 447-469

      Further reading

      1. Done LB, Dietze M, Cranfield M, et al. Necropsy lesions by body systems in African hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris): clues to clinical diagnosis. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, Oakland, CA, 1992, p. 110–2.

        • Hoefer H.L
        Exotic pet medicine II: hedgehogs.
        Vet Clin North Am. 1994; 24: 113-120
        • Lightfoot T.L
        Clinical examination of chinchillas, hedgehogs, prairie dogs, and sugar gliders.
        Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 1999; 2: 447-469
        • Ness R.D
        Clinical pathology and sample collection of exotic small mammals.
        Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 1999; 2: 591-620
        • Powers L.V
        Subcutaneous implantable catheter for fluid administration in an African pygmy hedgehog.
        Exotic DVM. 2002; 4: 16-17
        • Reeve N
        Hedgehogs.
        T. & A.D. Poyser, London1994
        • Smith A.J
        Husbandry and medicine of African hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris).
        J Small Exotic Anim Med. 1992; 2: 21-28