The quills will be flat against their back and the hedgehog will not be curled up in a ball. They will be able to help you diagnose and understand the cause. Do Hedgehog Quills Come Out? Hedgehog quills … Despite the hedgehog's spiky appearance, this little fellow has an appealing look, perhaps because he's small and stout. Check your hedgehog’s quills for things that might have gotten stuck in them, like bedding or dirt. If you suspect that one of these is the cause for a loss of quills you should take your hedgehog to the vet. If your hedgehog is comfortable with you and trusts you, then when you hold him/her, s/he will have their quills relaxed. If you see feces, it would be a good idea to wear gloves to clean his quills. The quills tend to lay down flat along the back and sides of the hedgehog, all pointing towards their rear end, so as long as you don't push against the sharp tips of the quills (pet them backwards) they pose no problems or chance of being poked. When you really stop to think about it, they really are quite remarkable. Quilling is a normal and necessary process within their first year of life. But still these two terms are used interchangeably and mean the spike defense mechanism on their backs. Examine your hedgehog’s quills. Nature has a point. Hedgehogs cannot throw their quills. Conclusion Also, beware that young hedgehogs tend to be grumpy while molting their quills, so be extra careful and extra gentle when handling your young hedge. Hedgehogs cannot shoot quills or detached quills like a porcupine. Mites can be diagnosed by your exotics vet (find one near you) by performing a skin scrape on your hedgehog and then looking for the tiny mites under a microscope. There are a few things you can do to help your hedgehog with quilling, so do not fret: Give you hedgehog a luke-warm bath, just like you would regularly give them. Since hedgehogs sometimes sleep in their droppings, there may be feces stuck in his quills. Related: Best Habitats For Hedgehog. In fact, unless he feels threatened, his quills are actually quite soft. Their quills are not barbed. You might want to get cozy with your pet. Some owners describe the feeling as touching a bunch of toothpicks. All wild hedgehogs can hibernate, although not all do. Hedgehog's spines are called quills. Much like we lose our baby teeth, young hedgehogs shed their baby quills, which are replaced with adult ones. The answer to this is no. They are the main means of defense that a hedgehog has against predators, but they serve some other rather useful purposes as well. A hedgehog’s quills do come off under certain circumstances. A hedgehog’s quills do come off under certain circumstances. Their quills are not poisonous. Hedgemon. If you are new to parenting a hedgehog, your concern is valid. When they're prickled up defensively, yes, it can be painful - and that will always be the case. … Hedgehog Description. Hedgehogs Hold the Secret to Preventing Concussions. When the creature is rolled into a ball, the quills on the back protect the tucked face, feet, and belly, which are not quilled. Again, different species can have slightly different habits, however, in general, hedgehogs dig out dens for shelter. However, you must be wondering, do hedgehog quills come out? Of all of the features of your pet hedgehog, probably none stands out more than than the quills. Much like we lose our baby teeth, young hedgehogs shed their baby quills, which are replaced with adult ones. They do shed their quills the way we shed our hair, a few at a time, but they cannot make them come out at will and you should never see bald spots. Your hands will get used to it, somewhat, but being poked now and then is just part of owning a hedgehog. Quilling is a process that happens to young hedgehogs, usually around their adolescent years maybe six to eight weeks of age.