THE AFRICAN PYGMY HEDGEHOG
The African Pygmy Hedgehog originally comes from Central Africa. Thanks to its spines some people think that it is related to the porcupine, which it isn't. The Hedgehogs quills are refined hairs that it can raise and lower at will. The Hedgehog has quite a muscle system under the skin that can fold the spiny section of its back all the way around so that when it rolls into a ball the muscles pull the spiny section closed, right over the legs and face. The spines, when raised, cross each other, producing a very formidable barrier. African Pygmy Hedgehogs vary quite a bit in size, on average, they can range from 8-18 ounces in weight and 5-8 inches in length.

AFRICAN PYGMY HEDGEHOGS AS PETS

Hedgehogs make an excellent pet for adults and children who want something different. Once a Hedgehog settles in and is comfortable with you, it will happily snuggle with you and play with you. They are easy to care for. Hedgehogs are great for anybody who has allergies, as Hedgehogs don't produce as much dander as other fur bearing animals.
Hedgehogs are best kept on their own. They are very territorial towards other Hedgehogs.
Pygmy Hedgehogs average life-span in captivity is about 8 years.

HOUSING

A glass aquarium (at least a 20-gallon aquarium) or a guinea pig cage is suitable for a Hedgehog.
Place your Hedgehog cage in a spot that is away from drafts and direct sunlight. African Pygmy Hedgehogs do best when the temperature in the room is between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit (18-27 degrees Celsius).

BEDDING

Hardwood chip bedding, such as aspen is the best. CareFresh Pet Bedding, Pine bedding or crushed corncob will also work as long as it is not dusty. The dust can cause upper respiratory problems. NEVER use cedar shavings, as cedar contains phenols, which can cause severe irritation to a Hedgehog.

ACCESSORIES

Supplying a house for your Hedgehog to sleep in is a good idea, a piece of 4-6 inch plastic pipe, a store bought home or you can make a wooden home, just make sure that the house doesn't have a bottom, otherwise cleaning it is very difficult.
A Hedgehog should have a wheel in its cage to get some exercise on. The wheel should be at least 9" in diameter. The wheel should be of the solid variety, as the Hedgehog could injure itself if its leg falls through the wire wheel. If all that you can get is a wire wheel, then "weave" some heavy card paper (cereal boxes work well) through the wire to make a solid wheel. The card paper will have to be changed once in a while.
You can also supply your Hedgehog with a cloth napkin. It will use it to sleep under or it may take it into its house to sleep on.
Some Hedgehogs will play with small cat toys, ball type. They will also like tubes to run through, such as PVC pipe or ferret tubes.

HANDLING

The best way to pick up a Hedgehog is to scoop it up in your hands or to let it walk up into your open hand. If you startle a Hedgie it will roll into a ball, you can still pick it up by gently rolling it onto your hand, if you need to use a towel. Talk to it quietly, this will help relax it and it should start opening up. Once it has opened up you can help it roll back onto its feet.

When you bring home your new Hedgie. Place it in its cage in a quiet place and let it have some privacy for the first day. You may pick it up for a few minutes at a time during the first day, just don't overdo it. It will probably take the Hedgie a week or so to feel comfortable in its new home.
Baby Hedgehogs sleep a lot for the first month after they have left their mother. Make sure that it is eating and drinking. To start with you should keep the food and water bowl/bottle close to their sleeping quarters. This way they will find the food easily.

The Hedgehogs sense of smell is very good, keep this in mind when you go to handle it. If you have just been eating, your hands smell like food. To a Hedgehog, your finger smells like the potato chip you ate 10 minutes ago, and it may try to eat your finger, but most likely it will start drooling, this is something Hedgies do when then encounter something new. If you have anything on your hands that give off an offensive odour, you may not even notice it, but the Hedgehog will and it may roll into a tight ball in reaction to the smell. Always remember to wash your hand first. As they say "first impressions", well a Hedgehogs first impression of you is your smell.

BUYING AN AFRICAN PYGMY HEDGEHOG

Whether you are buying a Hedgehog from a pet store or a breeder, you should ask questions, even if you know the answers from your own research. This will tell you how knowledgeable they really are. If they don't know what they are talking about, buyer beware! If they don't want to give you any information or want to help you, buyer beware!
Check out their facilities carefully. Look for overcrowding, dirty cages, unhealthy animals, smell the air. If the animals are overcrowded and/or the cages are dirty, be very cautious about buying a Hedgehog. There shouldn't be any sickly animals in sight, any good breeder/pet shop will have a "sick" room for any animals that aren't up to par. If the establishment/breeding facility has a very strong odour, be very careful, even if it looks clean, the smell is coming from somewhere. Any place, that has animals, will have a smell to it. The larger the facility, the stronger the odour. They just can't clean as fast as the animals do their business. But if the odour is overpowering, then there might be something else under the surface, use caution.
Check the health of the animal before you buy it and handle it. If they won't let you handle it before you buy it. They may be hiding something, WATCH OUT! Handling the Hedgehog tells you how tame it is and you have a chance to check its health. Look for discharge from its eyes and nose, sneezing, wet rear end and firmness of body. If it has any of these conditions or its body appears thin, don't buy it. Don't even consider another Hedgehog from the same cage as the other Hedgehogs may also have the same problems. The Hedgehog you choose should be bright eyed and interested in what is going on without being too nervous. There eyes and nose should be clear, the rear end dry and the body firm to the touch.
Obesity is a common problem with Hedgehogs. To tell if the Hedgehog that you are looking at is obese, look at its chin and legs. If the Hedgie looks like it has a double chin or real flabby legs, it is probably obese. An Obese Hedgie also cannot roll into a tight ball.
If possible, check references. Referrals from other satisfied customers will tell you a lot about that breeder's/pet shop's quality of animals, their care and concern for the animals well-being, their "customer service" and how much information they are willing to share.

DIET

A good quality dry cat or kitten food or a commercial Hedgehog diet (many Hedgehogs don't like the commercial diets). You can also give them, 3-4 times a week, mealworms, crickets, fresh fruit, vegetables, canned cat food or cooked chicken. Be careful that you don't over-feed these extras, or you will end up with an obese Hedgie. Fresh water must always be available.