Are Hedgehogs Dirty? 7 Interesting Facts Before Buying

Hedgehogs are solitary animals although they are tolerant from a territorial point of view. Its surface area varies between 20 and 30 ha for males and around 10 ha for females, but with great individual variations.

Coming from a wild habitat, many hedgehogs potential owners ask the same question, before getting a pet hedgehog.

Are hedgehogs dirty? Hedgehogs are not very dirty but they do carry potent salmonella. For hygiene safety, hedgehogs should be held and touched with limits. It is advised to people with a weak immune system to not pet hedgehogs. Furthermore, hedgehogs tend to create mess everywhere, the owners are required to clean their cages more often. 

Hedgehogs like to live and play in leaves or thickets. In addition, they tame very well and they coat their quills with saliva.  To disguise their smell, or to immunize against bacteria. Overall hedgehogs can be tamed and domesticated but a wild pet always stays wild and the best place for a wild animal is in the wild.

Hedgehogs are not very aggressive, although they can fight, especially males, to establish a margin of domination. Predominantly nocturnal and twilight. They hibernate from November or December to March and many individuals die during the first hibernation.

Are Hedgehogs Dirty?

Hedgehogs have a reputation of being cute but many people wonder, how clean are hedgehogs? Hedgehogs clean themselves by licking. Hedgehogs keep themselves clean most of the time. Even though they keep them self clean, they are known to create a mess all around.

If the Hedgehogs are not that clean people ask, are hedgehogs dirty animals? Hedgehogs are not dirty pets but hedgehogs make a lot of mess. Hedgehogs are not dirty but they carry salmonella disease which is harmful to humans. Hedgehog owners should create a hygienic environment and keep washing their hands after handling the hedgehogs.

Do Hedgehogs Carry Diseases?

Many people adopt hedgehogs without knowing some serious facts that they should consider before adopting a Hedgehog. Hedgehogs just like other mammals carry salmonella germs in their gut which they shed with their feces. These germs can be spread on dishes, toys, humans, and on any nearby objects.

People with a weak immune system shouldn’t pet a Hedgehog. People who do pet hedgehogs should be very careful with their hygiene levels. Frequent hand washing and keeping the environment clean should be a routine.

Are Hedgehogs Unhygienic?

From their appearance, hedgehogs may look very dirty and unhygienic and owners may ask How clean are hedgehogs? Hedgehogs are not unhygienic, they do clean themselves regularly but hedgehogs can be unsafe for people with weak immune systems.

Hedgehogs carry salmonella germs. If humans come in contact with such bacteria it can cause problems like food poisoning and even worse for people with weak immune systems.

Is It Safe To Pet A Hedgehog?

Yes, hedgehogs are safe to pet. They possess no harm to humans. However, they carry salmonella, otherwise, everything is safe. The hedgehog owners should know that they shouldn’t hold and pet a Hedgehog until it is completely relaxed.

By relaxed, the meaning is that the spines of hedgehogs are relaxed and not poking up. When the hedgehog is relaxed, owners can pet them in the direction of laid spines.

How Long Can My Hedgehog Live?

Hedgehogs can live up to 7 years if they are taken care of properly. Hedgehogs are prone to predators, pesticides, brush cutters, fire accidents (as many hedgehogs hide under leaves rack and are often burned by people without knowing hedgehogs are hiding in there) road traffic, parasites are some of the major reasons for the short lifespan of hedgehogs.

If protected from these factors, hedgehogs can live up to 7 years.

Are Hedgehogs Poisonous?

Many people believe in the myth that the spines of Hedgehogs are poisonous, which is not true. Hedgehogs don’t carry any poison neither on their spines nor in their mouths. Neither are hedgehogs in any way dangerous or harmful to humans. Even though they are wild animals, many people have them as pets.

Hedgehogs don’t carry any poison but hedgehogs do carry Salmonella bacteria in their gut which has an effect on human health especially on those who have weak immune systems.

Are Hedgehogs Dirty Pets?

No, hedgehogs are not dirty pets though they are messy pets hedgehogs are not dirty at all. However, the Hedgehogs do carry salmonella, which is harmful to humans so the owners should wash their hands properly after handling their pet hedgehogs.

Are Hedgehogs Messy Pets?

Yes, hedgehogs are messy pets and they do require their cages or terrariums to get cleaned very often. Twice or thrice a week is a need, however, if the owner cleans it every day, it won’t take much time and would be good for the pet.

Are Hedgehogs Clean Pets?

Like every other animal, hedgehogs also get dirty but hedgehogs have a natural ability to clean themselves by scratching, licking and shaking themselves. However, bathing them will clean them more properly.

Are Wild Hedgehogs Dangerous?

Many people wonder, are hedgehogs dirty and dangerous? Hedgehogs are by nature wild animals. Even though they don’t harm humans they do carry bacteria that are harmful to humans. Salmonella comes out of hedgehogs’ gut through faeces.

Salmonella may also be present on the body of hedgehogs. That is the reason, humans should always clean their hands properly after touching the hedgehogs.

Wild hedgehogs also carry ticks, worms, ringworms, lungworms that can also harm humans so it is better to avoid coming in contact with the hedgehogs especially if they are wild.

Is It Safe To Touch A Wild Hedgehog?

No, it is not safe to touch a hedgehog as discussed above, hedgehogs do carry salmonella in their gut that can be present on their body and can cause food poisoning to a person which can get worse if the immune system of the person is weak.

Wild hedgehogs also carry worms and ticks on their body which can also cause problems for humans. So, it is better to avoid touching the wild hedgehogs. However, if the person still has touched the Hedgehogs they should clean their hands properly.

Can I Have Hedgehog As A Pet?

Many states in the US like California, Georgia, Hawaii, New York, Omaha, Nebraska, Washington DC don’t allow pet hedgehogs. It is illegal to own them and many other states also have restrictions and they do require the owners to have a permit to pet a hedgehog.

In general, hedgehogs are wild but harmless pets. They can become pets but still, there are many difficulties that a hedgehog may face when getting used to a bound environment. As hedgehogs are used to roaming here and there and everywhere. It can also be difficult for hedgehogs.

Final Verdict- Are Hedgehogs Dirty

Hedgehogs are considered one of the most trending pets because of their exotic appearance and unusual bodies. Many people like to pet them but the majority of the owners wonder Are Hedgehogs dirty? Hedgehogs are not dirty, the owners shouldn’t expect to be cleaning them every time but owners should do expect to clean the terrarium of hedgehogs more often because hedgehogs create a lot of mess.

Are wild hedgehogs dirty? Wild Hedgehogs are not dirty animals but they do carry Salmonella bacteria in their gut, people who come in contact with Hedgehogs are prone to get infected by this bacteria. It causes trouble for people with weak immune systems. Overall, to get in contact with a hedgehog requires everyone to follow hygienic precautions like washing their hands and keeping the hedgehogs away from children.

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! ❤️