The hedgehog has been around for a long time and has been adopted as a pet for many centuries. They were originally bred as pets to be hunted, but the hunt stopped because they were no longer needed for their fur and meat.
While petting a Hedgehog, an owner may come up with a question naturally in their mind.
Do hedgehogs have tails? Yes, hedgehogs have a tail, while the length of the tail present in different hedgehogs species is different. The longest Hedgehog length can be only 6cm. Hedgehogs have small tails, which often are overlooked by the owners.
Do hedgehogs have tails?
Hedgehogs are small animals with spines on their back and a small tail, which isn’t often visible. They come in a variety of colors and shapes. For some people, they might seem like a strange pet to have but A lot of people adore them. Children love them as pets because they’re so cute and cuddly! And it’s also great that these animals need less space than other animals such as cats or dogs do!
Do Hedgehogs Have Tails?
Due to their tiny size, many owners ask does hedgehogs have tails? Yes, hedgehogs have tails, though the tail is often very small and hidden under their spikes and the hair of hedgehogs. Many people can’t see their tail and assume that the hedgehogs don’t have a tail. The tail is very small, it looks weird but cute and it is often mistaken for some extra skin.
Hedgehogs, just like any other majority of animals do have a tail. The main reason and the use of the tail are that it helps the spikes present in the hedgehogs to erect up straight without getting entangled with each other when they erect them.
How Long Is A Hedgehog’s Tail?
Many hedgehog owners wonder do hedgehogs have tails? If so, how long is it? Even though many people believe that hedgehogs are tailless animals, which isn’t the truth. All hedgehogs have tails. On average a hedgehog tail can be as long as 2 cm or ⅔ of an inch. The tail of hedgehogs can be as small as 1 cm or ¼ of an inch and can get long up to 5 cm.
An exception to the case of hedgehogs having tails can be greater Madagascar tenrec and lesser Madagascar tenrec. These species of hedgehogs are considered tailless. Even though they do have a tiny bump it isn’t viewable and that is the reason they are considered tailless.
Different Tail Lengths Of Different Hedgehogs
After understanding, do hedgehogs have tails? It should be noted that different hedgehogs have different tail sizes. The average tail length of a Hedgehog is around 2 cm however, different hedgehog species have different lengths of tails.
While few hedgehogs have tails as large as 6 cm while some may not grow a tail longer than 2 cm. Below is the table of different hedgehog species together with the length of tail they generally have in inches and centimeters.
Although a tail is present in hedgehogs, owners may not be able to see it and may ask what does a hedgehog tail look like? A hedgehog tail is generally very small and may not be visible to the owners. The tail of a hedgehog is more like a bumpy extension, like some extra skin. The tail of a hedgehog is often covered under its spikes or hair.
Sometimes, due to such minute size, when an owner may not be able to see the hedgehog tail, they can feel it by touching the back area downwards when the spikes of the hedgehog end. Moving hands there can make owners feel a bump, which can be a tail.
Do Hedgehogs Have Long Tails?
In comparison to other animals with tails, hedgehog tails are very small. The tail of a hedgehog isn’t known for any use, as many animals use their tails to remove flies off their bodies. However, hedgehogs have spikes and their tails are also too small. Hedgehogs’ tails are small enough for humans, most of the time it isn’t visible.
Some species that have one of the longest tails are amur hedgehogs. Amur hedgehogs can be as long as 6 cm. While European hedgehogs, desert hedgehogs and amur hedgehogs can have as small as 1 cm.
Do Baby Hedgehogs Have Tails?
Many people ask questions like do hedgehogs have tails, if so do baby hedgehogs have tails? Yes, baby hedgehogs also have tails, even though they are very small, hedgehogs start developing tails from their birth. However, their tails are hidden under their spikes and are often overlooked by the owners who are trying to find the tail of their baby hedgehog.
However, sometimes the baby hedgehogs are also seen without a tail. So it is possible that a baby hedgehog may not have a tail but it is nothing to worry about and it will eventually grow when the hedgehog starts growing.
Can Hedgehogs Get Wet Tail?
Fortunately, Hedgehogs don’t get wet tails. However, there are many diseases that hedgehogs are prone to. Ectoparasites, cystitis, reproductive problems, neurological issues, Dental problems. Many hedgehogs get cancer when they turn 3, it is due to continuous exposure to harmful bacteria and infections, a bad environment and poor living conditions.
Do hedgehogs have tails?
Hedgehogs can be very sensitive to getting a disease, as they are very delicate animals. However, all of these problems can be prevented if hedgehogs are taken good care of and provided a good environment. What food is good for a hedgehog? These animals are omnivores which means that they eat both plants and meat. Hedgehogs eat insects, worms, slugs, snails, earthworms, beetles and larvae from beehives if possible.
Do Hedgehogs Wag Their Tails?
The tails of hedgehogs are too small to move, however, hedgehogs wagging their tail can be a possibility, if the tail is long enough. Most of the time it is very difficult to see the tail of a hedgehog itself and it becomes even more difficult to see if they wag their tail.
Furthermore, the tails of hedgehogs are more like an extra appendage, though it is not useless, still, the tail present in hedgehogs may not move. Even though the tail of a hedgehog moves, like dogs, it doesn’t indicate any emotion or the current mood of the hedgehog. In the case of a dog, an owner can know that the tail wagging is a gesture of happiness but that is not the case in hedgehogs.
Why Do Hedgehogs Have Tails?
Just like any other animal with a tail, hedgehogs also have a tail as a natural part of their body. All hedgehogs have a tail, even though some of the tails are so small that they are hardly visible. The tail in the hedgehog helps the spikes present in the hedgehogs to erect up straight without getting entangled with each other when they erect them.
Different animals have tails for different reasons. Many animals use their tails to fly flies, insects and birds off their body, while in hedgehogs due to their spikes, they don’t need a long tail. Many studies claim that the hedgehogs have tails to use their spines, while many people disagree due to the small size of their tails.
Do Hedgehogs Stay Together?
No, In the wild, hedgehogs don’t live together neither in groups nor as a couple. Hedgehogs come under the category of solitary creatures. Hedgehogs spend most of their life alone, hunting and roaming alone, except for mating, the females raise the baby hedgehogs on their own, who also get separated from their mothers after some weeks of staying together.
In the wild hedgehogs work at night, they move from place to place finding a new partner to mate or for food. Even in the daytime when they are sleeping, they don’t like to have partners. They tend to sleep under leaf stacks, where it is difficult for predators to find them. One of the biggest reasons why a hedgehog doesn’t need a partner is because they don’t stay up a lot during their lifetime. Hedgehog sleep varies from 14-18 hours. Sometimes even more.
Do All Hedgehogs Have Tails?
Hedgehogs do have a small stub on the end of their spinal cord which is considered a tail. To confirm that the hedgehog does have a tail, the owners should look at the shape of the spine and see if it looks like it has been cut off or if an extra vertebra is protruding from it. Hedgehog tails are best identified by looking under their spines.
How To Tell If You Have Hedgehogs That Has A Tail?
Do hedgehogs have tails? And to find one? An owner can find the tail of a hedgehog by carefully picking it up when the hedgehog is relaxed. The owner should touch and feel the lower area of a hedgehog.
Sometimes, due to spikes, if the owner is unable to feel the tail, they can look at it under spikes or the hair. The tail of a hedgehog is like a small bump at the back, which looks more like an extra skin.
Do African Pygmy Hedgehogs Have Tails?
Yes, African Pygmy hedgehogs do have tails. Though the size of their tail is really small, the average tail of an African pygmy hedgehog can vary from 1- 1.5 inches. Almost all hedgehogs have tails.
Final Verdict – Do Hedgehogs Have Tails
The trend to pet hedgehogs has just been increasing, but many owners ask do hedgehogs have tails? Yes, hedgehogs have tails. Though the tail present in a Hedgehog is very small, it is most of the time overlooked by the owners.
A hedgehog is a small animal that is usually not as long as a foot but they still have a tail. The color of the tail can vary from brown to grey to black according to the color of the hedgehog. Some hedgehogs have spines on their back, while others do not. In most cases, the tails are hidden under their spikes. Contrary to popular belief, they cannot shoot their spines out of their body at any time and another myth that hedgehogs don’t have tails is also wrong.
Do hedgehogs have tails? Do hedgehogs have tails as pets? Do hedgehogs have tails as wild animals?
To conclude, do hedgehogs have tails? Yes, hedgehogs have tails. Furthermore, many owners wonder if their hedgehog can live with a partner. Hedgehogs are usually not social animals and they prefer living alone or having one friend with them at the most. They need a lot of sleep and live on average four years in the wild and six years in captivity.
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! ❤️
DISCLAIMER: THIS BLOG OR WEBSITE, "Learn About Pet", DOES NOT PROVIDE YOU WITH MEDICAL ADVICE AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR PERSONAL VETERINARIAN AND USE INFORMATION HERE AS GENERAL ADVICE.
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice, food recommendation, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or for pet food related questions.
