Hedgehog Recovery With Aloe Vera Therapy

Depending on the species, the gestation period is 35–58 days. The average litter is 3–4 newborns for larger species and 5–6 for smaller ones. As with many animals, it is not unusual for an adult male hedgehog to kill newborn males.
The hedgehog's dilemma is based on the apparent danger of a male hedgehog being injured by a spine while mating with a female hedgehog. However, this is not a problem for hedgehogs, as the male's penis is very near the center of its abdomen (often mistaken for a belly button) and the female can curl her tail upward until her vulva protrudes behind the rest of her body. Thus, the male does not have to get completely on top of the female when mating.
Hedgehogs have a relatively long lifespan for their size. Larger species of hedgehogs live 4–7 years in the wild (some have been recorded up to 16 years), and smaller species live 2–4 years (4–7 in captivity), compared to a mouse at 2 years and a large rat at 3–5 years. Lack of predators and controlled diet contribute to a longer lifespan in captivity (8–10 years depending on size).
Hedgehogs are born blind. The hedgehogs are birthed with a protective membrane covering their quills, which dries and shrinks over the next several hours. The infants are born with quills beneath the skin, like pimples, and pass the skin after they have been cleaned.