APH ancenstors

[ste_lloyd]

i know that APHs dont really exist in the wild but i wondered if anybody could tell me about their familie ties? where do they come from? how are the different?

[bothrops]

Wiki search gives

"
The most common species of domesticated hedgehog is the African Pygmy hedgehog, a hybrid of the White-bellied or Four-toed Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) and the Algerian Hedgehog (A. algirus). It is smaller than the European Hedgehog, and thus is sometimes called African Pygmy Hedgehog. Other species kept as pets are the Egyptian long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus auritus) and the Indian long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus collaris). "


Cheers

Andy

[wildlifewarrior]

yea the above poster has sumed it up....for once wiki anit completely wrong

i find it wierd how people are so fasinated by aph, but not too keen on our native ones. we have loads in the wildlife garden every year but the public visitors dont seem to fussed about them. yet alot of the people i speak to are so keen on wanting a aph as a pet.

might be a mammal thing...i remember catching grass snakes and such as a kid, then being excited when allowed to buy have one as a proper pet. not saying catch a wild hedgehog nooooooo, just thought there would be much more interest in them as aph increase as pets.

[ste_lloyd]

everybody that hers that my aunt keeps hedgehogs goes " ooooooh, but they are infested with fleas!". i think maybe people assume they are the same as wild ones and can be fleabag biters! i think they are cool and its great to watch them. hopefully it will rise the profile of wild european hedghogs too.

[wildlifewarrior]

lol yea i hope so, but i wouldnt say there feabags and nasty. I had to raise 5 babies and 2 poorly adults last year , only one adult was infested with mites, they were rather sweet adult. they were released back into the wildlife garden once 100%. stunning littler guys they are. aph are also stunning and hope they increase in popularity but also get the right advise when selling. seen too many shops selling these lately in RUBS

[Rosel]

I think wild (european) hedgehogs can have quite a high parasite burden, but most of the parasites are hedgehog specific. (and of course pet hedghogs are pretty unlikely to have them)

[animal addict]

Originally Posted by wildlifewarrior

but also get the right advise when selling. seen too many shops selling these lately in RUBS

most definately!!!!!!!!!!!! and how do shops handle them seeing as they are nocturnal or at best wake up late evening and the shop is closed?

[wildlifewarrior]

well the ones locally are kept in with uv lighting in the back....but nothing gets done, and there vet approved aswell. sometimes it makes you wonder dont it.

[Rosel]

Daft Question maybe, but what are RUBS?

[wildlifewarrior]

Really useful boxes...like office and underbed storage tubs

they are great for keeping some speices of snakes in, but alot of reptile shops seem to be jumping on the wagon and selling them as a extention of reptile keeping it would seem