Hedgehog what do they eat

But what do hedgehogs eat and what should you feed them? A typical diet includes:. Hogs hunt by snuffling through the undergrowth, using their keen sense of smell and hearing to catch any prey they disturb.

While invertebrates are top of the menu, hedgehogs are opportunistic eaters. Carrion, fallen fruit and the eggs of ground-nesting birds may all be taken should a hog come across them. This is because invertebrate numbers have been reduced by agricultural intensification and pesticide use. As opportunistic eaters, hedgehogs will readily consume food left out in your garden. The best foods to provide are:.

As well as providing food, you can put out a shallow dish of water to ensure any visiting hogs stay hydrated. You can start feeding hedgehogs as soon as they emerge from hibernation in spring. They do not eat fully grown garden snails. Hedgehogs are not keen on slugs due to the large quantity of slime they produce when attacked. However, a nice bite sized morsel of a slug that can be swallowed whole will be eaten.

Fruit and vegetables are rarely sought by hedgehogs. Fruit is occasionally consumed but does not make up any substantial part of their diet. Cat food is a popular choice for feeding hedgehogs in the garden. It is cheap, convenient and contains a lot of useful nutrition.

Some cat foods contain very high levels of protein and vitamins that hedgehogs cannot metabolise. We believe there are better options, see below. Hedgehogs will eat any food they can easily catch or scavenge, including reptiles and snakes.

However, they only make up a tiny part of their diet that mainly consists of beetles and other invertebrates. Hedgehogs will eat left over bird food including peanuts but be wary! Whole peanuts can get caught in their teeth and cause real suffering. Do not feed whole peanuts to hedgehogs. See our advice regarding bird food further up this page. Snakes, slow worms and other reptiles will be eaten by hedgehogs if they get the chance.

However, they only make up a tiny part of their diet. Such food is probably picked up from their intended food item or the stomachs of their prey. Dogs are omnivorous carnivores whereas cats are pure carnivores. Dog food tends to have more ingredients than cat food, along with lower levels of protein, vitamins, and minerals. As such, dog food may be preferable to cat food when feeding hedgehogs omnivorous insectivores , due to the closer digestive anatomy of the two species.

Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant and therefore cheese, milk or any dairy products should never be given to them. While not poisonous, lactose will cause digestive upset, giving them diarrhoea and loss of condition. Occasionally, they may also dine on worms, slugs or snails, which could help to keep your garden pest- free.

So, what should you put outside out for a hedgehog in your garden? Just like many of our other furry friends, hedgehogs need a diet that is high in animal protein. Of course, not all pet foods are made the same and some are low in animal protein so be sure to check the ingredients. Pet food with natural ingredients and no funny business is best for both your pets and roaming hedgehogs. You can simply use the food you already give to your cats or buy an extra bag or two to keep your garden topped up.

Just like with our cats and dogs, no one wants an overweight hedgehog! To prevent other animals from getting to the hedgehog food first, keep food under a low platform or ridge tile. By knowing what a hedgehog should be eating you can make better food decisions for your pet. Hedgehogs are considered either omnivores or insectivores, depending on the source referenced. If you look at the actual diet of a hedgehog you'll see that the omnivore description is probably a more accurate one since hedgehogs in the wild will eat a variety of foods, not just insects.

Different species of hedgehogs will have slightly varied diets depending on the part of the world they are from, but most pet hedgehogs are African Pygmy hedgehogs so being a hybrid, their diet isn't the same as a wild hedgehog. Hedgehogs have the unique ability to digest chitin from insects. Chitin is found in the hard exoskeleton of insects and is primarily a protein source but also provides some fiber.

Chitin is a necessary component to a hedgehog's diet but it isn't the only thing a hedgehog needs from its food, so various items should be fed in addition to insects. Hedgehogs are prone to obesity, so it is of utmost importance to monitor how much you are feeding it. The hedgehog or cat kibble should make up the majority of the daily diet, and even though a hedgehog is very active at night and burns a lot of energy, you'll want to control how much kibble it gets.