Are Hedgehogs Blind? Do Hedgehogs Have Good Eyesight? 7 Cool Facts

Everyone knows hedgehogs have adorable little round eyes to watch. Only a few know the ins and outs of the hedgehog’s vision. When you see a hedgehog being active during the day, hedgehogs seem unresponsive to your greeting even at a distance not too far from them.

Are hedgehogs blind? Hedgehogs have very poor sight, but they can still see. Some hedgehogs are blind because of a birth defect, injury, or illness. They cannot see well enough due to poor binocular vision to view a single optical image.

Hedgehogs do not need vision because they are nocturnal and distinguish shapes and outlines.

Facts about the poor sight hedgehog are still not widely known. Let’s learn the details in this article.

Do Hedgehogs Have Good Eyesight?

No, hedgehogs have poor eyesight that is almost blind. Hedgehogs’ eyesight can only faintly see outlines of shapes. Imagine if you see something blurry and are easily afraid of the fast movement of something when it creates a specific shadow.

It will be seen when the hedgehog wakes up in the morning. A hedgehog doesn’t need the daylight we usually use to look around. The hedgehog is a nocturnal animal and doesn’t require light to see.

Are Hedgehogs Always Blind?

No. Only a few hedgehogs are blind due to birth defects or eye injuries. Blind hedgehogs can be seen from how they walk, which easily bump into the things around them. Hedgehogs only rely on smell and hearing for caution with their surroundings.

Hedgehogs with poor eyesight have difficulty coordinating the body and managing balance. But this does not prevent the hedgehog from being active at night. Hedgehogs also know if they are close to their owner. Sometimes, the hedgehog will crawl to the owner’s body.

Are hedgehogs rodents? Many equate splat mole rats as blind rodents with hedgehogs. The answer is No. Although they are similar in shape to the mice or rats family, they are Erinaceomorpha and are not related to the porcupines.

What Can Hedgehogs See?

Hedgehogs can see shapes and outlines during the day and are clearer at night. Hedgehogs can focus more on seeing things around them, and they can also clearly know the position of food and drink because it is assisted by smell.

Don’t be surprised if hedgehogs curl up when you approach them, especially if you make a quick move and startle them. It takes time to get used to you around them. Anything that approached the hedgehog with a certain speed would be considered a threat by them.

Are hedgehogs blind? Hedgehogs are not blind but have poor eyesight. They can see even though they are dim, and function better at night.

Can Hedgehogs See In Dark?

Hedgehog can see quite well in the dark. To help their not-so-good eyesight, hedgehogs also use hearing and smelling things around them. You will see hedgehogs that are active at night making noises and walking around.

When a hedgehog’s vision is way better than daylight, that doesn’t mean they can see clearly in complete darkness. They only see the outline of some objects and specific colors.

Where do hedgehogs live? Hedgehogs have nests that they build themselves near forests, savanna, or suburban gardens. It’s quite easy if you catch a hedgehog in the wild during the day because they can’t see clearly.

Do Hedgehogs Have Bad Vision?

Yes, hedgehogs have poor vision. It needs hearing and smelling sense to cover its shortcomings. Hedgehogs will be more difficult to recognize you during the day. They can feel you around them at night when they see the outlines or shape of your body.

Keep in mind to approach hedgehogs slowly. It is because hedgehogs are creatures that are easily startled and protect themselves. Hedgehogs will defend themselves when something is approaching them quickly.

Are hedgehogs blind? Bad vision cannot be categorized as blind. Hedgehogs can still distinguish goods and their surroundings from the outlines. The more accustomed they are to one place, the more they will recognize what is near them.

Are All Hedgehogs Blind?

Only hedgehogs who have an illness, birth defect, or injury are blind. You can tell which hedgehogs are blind and which are not by the way they walk.

Hedgehogs who are used to being in a cage will know where their cage barrier is. But blind hedgehogs will often collide with cages because they can’t tell which barrier is. The hedgehog eyes look focused on something, but they can’t see the image.

Are Hedgehogs Half Blind?

Many still think hedgehogs are born blind, but that’s not true. Hedgehogs can still be born normal even though all hedgehogs have poor vision. Hedgehogs can be separated from their mother from the three weeks’ age and curious about the things around them.

Are hedgehogs blind? Blind hedgehogs will find it challenging to recognize their surroundings because they can only use hearing or smelling to get used to their habitat. Hedgehogs are generally not blind. They can’t see clearly because of poor binocular vision.

Are Hedgehogs Blind Or Deaf?

No. Hedgehogs use hearing more than they use their vision. When people ask about ‘are hedgehogs blind or deaf‘, they wonder why their hedgehogs are not very responsive to sound and easily bump into something on the way.

Some hedgehogs can be born with certain defects and loss of senses. If hedgehogs are blind and deaf, they can only rely on the smell. That is a tough thing for the rest of their life.

Can Hedgehogs See In The Dark?

Hedgehogs can see outlines of shapes a little more clearly at night. Nocturnal animals will have a better vision if they do activities at night, but even though hedgehogs can see in the dark, they still can’t see a clear image.

The hedgehog’s eyesight could be a bit better, though still not as good as humans. We can compare how we walk in complete darkness and see shapes or outlines. That’s what the hedgehog sees.

Are hedgehogs blind? No. They can see at night slightly better than during the day. Hedgehogs can also be aware of your presence if used to it.

Are Hedgehogs Color Blind?

Hedgehogs are not completely color blind. They can see cream and brown shades. Both colors will help hedgehogs if they live near trees. Apart from seeing outlines of tree shapes, they can also see tree colors.

Some say color blind hedgehogs because they have poor vision, but this is not true because hedgehogs can still see certain colors.

Are hedgehogs blind? No, hedgehogs don’t need light like us to see because they are nocturnal animals. Hedgehogs can see shapes and outlines, although they are easily frightened by the fast shadows passing by around them.

Are Albino Hedgehogs Blind?

Albino hedgehogs have the same poor vision as other types of hedgehogs. Hedgehogs still have slightly better eyesight at night. Hedgehogs can still use their hearing and smell senses to help with activities. Most of us know albinos are known as blind or deaf. But for hedgehogs, it is not like that.

Albino hedgehogs are incredibly rare because only one in 10,000 genes appears to be an albino. Albinos look like they have worse vision than regular hedgehogs.

Are Hedgehogs Born Blind?

Yes, hedgehogs are born blind with a protective membrane that will shrink for several hours. Hedgehogs will stay blind until the time is right, and their mother lets them go foraging for food and exploring the world.

Are baby hedgehogs blind? Yes, about 2-3 weeks, baby hedgehogs are still blind until they can open their eyes and start to walk around their surroundings.

Although hedgehogs are getting older, their eyesight remains poor and does not develop like other animals. Hedgehogs need to see a little more clearly at night as nocturnal animals.

Are African Pygmy Hedgehogs Blind?

All natural-born hedgehogs retain poor eyesight and can only see the shape or outlines of objects more clearly at night. If there is a special case of African pygmy that is said to be blind, maybe the hedgehog is included in a birth defect.

Are pygmy hedgehogs blind? No, hedgehogs don’t have the good binocular vision to interpret images as humans see.

You can prove it by how you bring your hand to the hedgehog. Try to interact with them. Once hedgehogs get used to you, hedgehogs can get to know your shape and other senses like your voice or smell.

The table below is some facts about the hedgehog’s eyesight.

Final Verdict – Are Hedgehogs Blind

Hedgehogs are widely known as blind, but they are only blind at birth until they are 3 weeks old. After the hedgehogs are ready, they will leave their mothers and begin to open their eyes and explore their surroundings.

There are several possibilities for hedgehog blindness due to injury, birth defect, or illness. How to distinguish blind hedgehogs or not is simple. Hedgehogs who are blind will easily bump into the cage because they can’t use their sense of smell properly. The smell mixed with the area where the hedgehog lived.

Hedgehogs can see shapes and outlines and see brown or cream shades. Even though hedgehogs have poor vision, they can still move with agility.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet hedgehog a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️