In nature, hedgehogs live only 3-5 years. In captivity, the duration of their life increases by a factor of 2, sometimes it reaches 16 years. Such a big difference in life expectancy is not accidental.
First, hedgehogs living in the home do not suffer from a lack of food, as they do in the wild. Often the hedgehogs, while moving away from hibernation, are in such a lean state that their needles are supposed to be attached to their bones. The fat that the hedgehogs so hard to save all the warm period, for the whole winter is not enough.
Secondly, hedgehogs are animals that live one by one. They do not need a company at home. The animal will feel comfortable living only with the person. When another hedgehog appears on the same territory, there can be no fighting and fighting between them. They can cripple themselves, biting and using their needles. Exception in this case are young hedgehogs or couples, but only during the mating games.
Thirdly. In the wild, hedgehogs usually have many diseases. Their maintenance at home conditions provides for a regular examination by a veterinarian. If the hedgehog is less sick, it is quite natural that the duration of his life at the same time increases. In this regard, the home hedgehog better to buy from a man, especially breeding hedgehogs for sale. Young hedgehogs are no longer afraid of humans, so it’s easy to make contact with them. These hedgehogs are usually healthy and do not carry infectious diseases, which can not be said about wild hedgehogs. When buying a hedgehog there must be appropriate documentation that the hedgehog is healthy, has a positive heredity. Of course, to catch a small animal somewhere in the park is very easy. But in nature they often suffer from rabies, tick-borne encephalitis. And does someone want to expose their health and the health of close people to such a risk?
