Hedgehog, The Best Pet Mammal?

[@ClintsReptiles]

Big thanks to Ridge for sending me these wallets and supporting the channel! Here’s the site if you want to check them out! > ridge.com/clint

[@HassanMohamed-rm1cb]

Hey Clint Laidlaw, Why don't you get to think of a suggestion and creating a KZbin Videos all about the🐠Phylogeny Group Of Ray-Finned Fish🐠on the next Clint's Reptiles on the next Saturday coming up next?!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍👍👍

[@HassanMohamed-rm1cb]

Hey Clint Laidlaw, Why don't you get to think of a suggestion and creating a KZbin Videos all about the🐟Phylogeny Group Of Lobe-Finned Fish🐟on the next Clint's Reptiles on the next Saturday coming up next?!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍👍👍

[@AGiantTalkingLizard]

Thank you for making another the best pet! Yall r amazing!

[@juliesheehan41]

Cow ,the best pet mammal

[@Justyouraveragedaeodon5]

Can you please make a video on the clade hyenadonta.

[@thegamingpigeon3216]

"Hedgehogs are better to handle than porcupines" Several years ago while climbing into my tree stand, a kind and generous porcupine that was hiding up there decided to swipe my hand with his tail and share some quills with me. I couldn't believe it as I fell the 16 feet back down to the ground (thankfully the duffel on my back filled with blankets and stuff cushioned my fall a good bit). But suffice to say, I learned a lesson that day: you are right Clint, hedgehogs are in fact better to handle than porcupines.

[@thomasmacdiarmid8251]

There are danged few creatures small enough to pick up that are worse to handle than porcupines. Maybe the venomous or poisonous ones, but not even all of those. Possibly a bobcat or lynx.

[@doge1608]

WHAT

[@honourabledoctoredwinmoria3126]

@@thomasmacdiarmid8251 bear cubs.

[@evilspyke5760]

lesson i learned is that next time im climbing, im packing my bag full of blankets and pillows.

[@thegamingpigeon3216]

@@evilspyke5760 oh don’t get me wrong, my back hurt, I got the wind knocked out of my and I was still sore, but it sure helped

[@IceFireofVoid]

I had a hedgehog when I was younger. He was terrible. He was angry all the time. He would poop in his wheel and then run in the poop and stomp it down and it would get all over him and in his spikes. He would throw his food bowl upside down in his water dish if I moved things where he didn't want them when I was cleaning his cage. I loved him very much.

[@Salamander_falls]

Sounds like he had strong opinions and a bold personality. Sounds very lovable in a curmudgeony kinda way ❤

[@berserker3414]

XD you got us in the half part not gonna lie

[@lawrencehamilton7021]

I had the exact same experience except mine was a female, I had to put her bowls in very specific spots so that she wouldn’t flip it

[@mothman_slayer4217]

Hedgehogs are the biggest hit or miss. Sometimes you’ll get one with a friendly personality and you’ll see it on social media with cute photos Or you’ll get a grumpy hedgehog that wants zero human interaction and always ball up no matter how much bonding techniques you try. I’ve tried every single trick I saw online and he’s still the same for 2 years straight. I love him but I wish he was more affectionate 😅

[@darcieclements4880]

Yeah hedgehogs are definitely not beginner pets. Their tendency to poop and walk in their poop but also having the need to get lots of exercise means you need to have them out for like an hour every day and follow them around cleaning up their poop and pee. Anything else and you're going to end up with toenail infections from them treading in their own poop. And like all pets people need to be prepared that they will not always have a great personality especially if you don't get them fixed. I also don't really understand Clint comparing them to reptiles. They're different from other mammals I'll give you that, but they are also very very unlike pet reptiles. They eat and poop so much, I would say they are borderline worse than some birds and in terms of interactions and relationship it's kind of not like any other animal I've worked with and I've worked with so many different species I've lost count like a really long time ago. There's a good chance I've worked with it if you've heard of it or at least something closely related to it.

[@d012k-n5t]

You forgot that Hedgehog's need to run around on some hills and loop de loops, also fight off an evil mad scientist with egg-shaped robots

[@Black-Swan-007]

And don't forget they LOVE to collect little gold rings!

[@d012k-n5t]

@@Black-Swan-007 yep

[@1mrcow143]

Don’t forget they like chilli dogs and collect seven emeralds to become super powerful

[@noahf.1127]

Let's go, I knew someone would mention the Blue Blur! Also he has a faker who uses Chaos Control and can't stop thinking about Maria.💙🦔

[@VengefulAngeI]

And collect coins, don't forget that!

[@laurenmellen654]

I grew up with hedgehogs. They're so much fun and have such a range of personalities. My last hedgie was the grumpiest and lived to be nine years old. She was blind, arthritic, had no teeth, and would fall asleep every three minutes. I miss that crotchety old grumpus.

[@CanonessEllinor]

I grew up with European hedgehogs as common garden animals and was really surprised to learn some hedgehogs are kept as pets! I’m sure my grandma would have been delighted, she loved watching over her garden hedgehogs and putting out water - never milk! - and winter boxes for them. Maybe she’d even have wanted to keep one, after all she was an early adopter of budgies when they came to Europe, so it’s not like exotic pets were out of the question.

[@thebenior]

I had a hedgehog (in the US) as a teenager, and an Irish woman that I worked with was delighted to hear that I had a hedgehog as a pet.

[@locsin1955]

Also grew up with hedgehoges roaming around the neighborhood gardens. Most people had water dishes and maybe some cat food for them to munch on. Sadly here in Sweden the rise in use of robotic lawnmovers means you often find them dead after getting their head smashed in by the blades of the mover. :(

[@javierhillier4252]

My grandma put up hedgehog 🦔 boxes in the garden too

[@CainXVII]

I have a bad day. I opened youtube thinking I need something without drama. I saw hedgehog. This is perfect

[@richardvogel1195]

For years now I've been on the fence about getting a hedgehog and thanks to your videos I'm convinced. To not get one. Thank you so much. Keep up the good work

[@ClintsReptiles]

I'm so glad that we could help you make this important decision. Have you yet discovered something that may be a better fit for you?

[@richardvogel1195]

@ClintsReptiles I've recently become a beekeeper. I think that's more than enough for now. I would love to see a video on super organisms some day

[@renav.3239]

I had a pet hedgehog about 20 years ago. One of the finest little pets ive ever had. I was working overnights at the time so slept most of the day away, and was up very late on my nights off. She was my little companion

[@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory]

Many years ago, one of my students did a speech on why exotic animals can be difficult as pets. She had hedgehogs & had been told later that they weren't supposed to be pets. She did a great job with her talk, it was their starter public speaking class, but I remember thinking they didn't sound that difficult. I'm happy to know that my student wasn't doing anything ill-advised, hope she's still keeping those adorable little cuties. Too small for me, I need a pet that I can easily see lol, but such sweeties

[@therongjr]

Me at 0:05 - "That 'hedgehog' looks an awful lot like a tenrec!"

[@houstonaglover]

Came here to say this 😅

[@ClintsReptiles]

The resemblance is uncanny!

[@Exquailibur]

I was confused there too

[@wilmasara1175]

This is a tenrec!

[@ZhovtoBlakytniy]

I called it at the beginning. Hmm is that a fake hedgehog? Yes, yes it is.

[@animatedpsychologist]

I love the whole range of videos here, but the "Is X the best pet for you" about actual pet-type animals will always, always be my favorite. ❤❤❤ Loved the guests, the info, and watching the hedgehogs!

[@christopherahrens7110]

Hi Clint, I'd love to see you talk about pigeons as pets, as I think they actually answer a lot of the issues you have with birds as pets. They're quiet, pretty low maintenance, exceptionally cheap, and just fantastic overall. I think they're quite underappreciated, and I'd bet many people who end up with parrots would actually prefer pigeons or doves if they knew they were options. It'd be great to give them a platform on your channel!

[@christopherahrens7110]

Oh, also there's no danger from bites! That's a big thing.

[@CainXVII]

I know someone who had a pet pigeon. He was great, he just showed up and decided to be theirs. They are awesome. And once they decide they belong to you they will even come back if let out :)

[@mandowarrior123]

Edible, too. When releasing doves at events became less popular, and of course with the extinction of messenger pigeons in ww1 and new messaging methods people lost interest. Birds you want 3 or 4 economic outputs minimum, pigeons usually have two. Ducks, you get duck feather pillows and aesthetic waterproof feathers/quills, eggs every other day tastier than chickens, and still a tasty meat, and still valuable to other farmers for genetic diversity, and foul all have valuable fertilizer poo. Pigeons as i understand it can be kept in a shoebox size hole though and let free to fly about in the right circumstances, so has the lowest space requirements? Not a fancier, but their coos might be the most soomthing. As a pet they don't have the exotic factor in most places and you can go and feed and play with the local pigeons without investment or responsibility.

[@mandowarrior123]

Oh, and they're falcon food.

[@christopherahrens7110]

@mandowarrior123 I do think that as pets they still have an exotic factor. Look at some of the fancy breeds out there! People are wowed that pigeons can even look like that. Also, so many people are just shocked you could even have them as a pet, which leads to a bunch of interest. Who really cares about how exotic something is when it comes to choosing a pet anyways though? It's not like dogs are exotic but they're beloved, and I think pigeons also have am immense capacity for love and affection. Whenever I reenter my room my pigeon flies over to me and lands on my arm or shoulder. They can be pet, they fall asleep on you, it's grand. It's also a very different mode of interacting with them than feeding feral pigeons. You don't get the same connection.

[@ShunNiikura]

I live in central europe and hedgehogs are everywhere! We don't touch them because of parasites but we love them. they eat slugs and that's appreciated. many gardeners build "hibernation" spots for them in autumn. leaf litter and branches in a rain sheltered corner near buildings.🙃

[@onyxhuddy2373]

I was so concerned when he started calling the tenrec a hedgehog 🤣

[@houstonaglover]

Me too 😅 I should really have more faith in Clint by now, I should've known it was a set up

[@tell-me-a-story-]

Real hedgehogs have bigger eyes and a smaller face.

[@onyxhuddy2373]

@@tell-me-a-story- I know, that's why I was concerned.

[@VengefulAngeI]

Me too! I was like uh.... Should I say something? Lol

[@KimSpurre104]

Me too

[@__-be1gk]

I think "Collecting a smell" with its spit and storing it on its back is one of the most insane things I've ever heard of an animal doing

[@____________838]

“They’re not great climbers” I call a lie. They’re great at climbing up. However that’s the problem, they’re absolutely horrible at climbing down.

[@thekito4623]

loll why does that always happen tho

[@ghostrucok6617]

I live in Poland and wild hedgehogs are very common in the cities

[@petrairene]

German here. And I wouldn't touch one because of the fleas they have.

[@hyperturbotechnomike]

@@petrairene Not only fleas, but also the possibility of ticks and other parasites. But during autumn, i often feed them and let the leaf piles in my garden for them to hide and also because the colours of the yellow and red leaves looks nice.

[@EeeEee-bm5gx]

😍🦔

[@joluoto]

Yeah, In Finland we also have them everywhere. And no, you shouldn't touch a wild hedgehog (or wild animals overall)

[@playingindies6730]

In the Netherlands too, I see them all the time.

[@Tuck-Shop]

Brit here. I grew up with a local hedgehog who was large. The size of a small lap dog. It used to try and get into houses to steal (wet and dry) cat food and it was completely fearless. People used to have to push it out of their homes with their feet. I even picked it up one night and it didn't even try to roll up into a ball. It just waited for me to put it back down and it waddled off. No biting, struggling or noises. I didn't even use gloves. I used to love seeing it wander the street searching for slugs and snails to chow down on. It was that part why neighbours liked it as it ate garden pests. Despite it's attempts to do cat food raids through open doors or cat flaps.

[@M4TCH3SM4L0N3]

A small lap dog? Are you sure that wasn't an echidna or something?

[@Tuck-Shop]

@@M4TCH3SM4L0N3 Echidnas don't live here and the hedgehogs here do grow that big (Britain). Easily a foot long. They aren't kept as pets and attempting to do so is illegal.

[@RoScFan]

@@M4TCH3SM4L0N3 Im romanian and i found a hedgehog that big in a patch of forrest close to Bucharest. Yes, they can get that big, at least the european species does. I held it and i estimate 1.5-3kg body weight. Enormous for a hedgehog. But I only saw a hedgehog that big once, whereas the rat-sized once ive seen dozens of times. So the big ones are rare.

[@nettlesandsnakes9138]

I think the next mammal you should review as a pet is a sheep or maybe a goat. I’ve heard goats are like dogs that eat more plants. & sheep can take your lawn and turn it into clothing material.

[@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory]

Lol I'd say, go ahead & get a lamb or kid and find out, BUT(T 😂)... Sheep MUST be sheared when it's time & you aren't shearing your own sheep right away, unless you are very strong & a very quick learner. It's not easy at all and the sheep often tries to get away, but they'll eventually die from it if you don't shear them. They are domesticated & require human intervention. THEN you've got to card the wool, then get it into a rope form, then spin it into actual yarn... to turn the fluff into yarn takes a few very physically demanding steps, THEN you need to either knit something or weave fabric and then sew with it. And it's 100% pure wool which has many many advantages except it is def not going to be soft the first time you do all this. And if you don't pre shrink your clothing, if you accidentally dry it in the dryer, your sweater will turn into a toddler sweater but you cannot get it to unshrink, congrats you just made felt lol. And sheep 💩 makes pig 💩 smell like 🌺. One of the ickiest smelling domesticated animals tbh. And requiring tremendous care bcuz they are bred for sheepherders to do the thinking for them. The wild ones are badass but these sweet farm babies are dumb. Goats don't need shearing but they won't keep your lawn nice. They will destroy it lol. Goats are great as a farm animal but please don't keep them as in-town pets even if legal, they love to butt and you shouldn't train it out of them, it's part of being a goat, and they need to chew chew chew. I love goats but they do best as farm animals. I don't know much about them, but I know they cannot live wild either. Compared to their wild cousins who will just throw you off of a mountain, very mean SOBs tbh, they just don't have defenses to take care of themselves. Both are herd animals and likely happiest with a group. But, uh, don't start a sheep ranch unless you understand that the animals we eat are called market ________, lambs are baby sheep, and processing means unaliving... so if you ranch sheep you will be selling & possibly processing market lambs and you have to be able to deal with that, I don't believe it's a sin at all, but it's emotionally hard if you weren't raised processing market baby animals, and even if you were (Clarice Starling). There's not much of a sheep's milk market in the US, it's a very strong flavor milk. If you breed these animals, you will need to care for them properly or sell them as meat.

[@nettlesandsnakes9138]

@@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory so please peel your sheep.

[@mandowarrior123]

​@@standdownrobots_ihaveoldgloryif keeping sheep there are a couple more points- you can use sheeps milk without consuming it directly or alone, like cooking apples. I don't think it'd be that objectionable in pancake mixes or curries for example. You still need to learn to pick sheep up and handle them and can come to a local farmer if you're a sheep heavy place. As far as processing sheep wool and linalool sure, but if you want wook you may be interested. That isn't necessary to make use of it, it's used heavily as loft insulation in scotland for example without being processed. You don't need a ranch yourself though, either. At least here in the UK you simply rent or borrow the land, as fallow field's fertility is greatly enhanced by sheep grazing. You do need to learn to drive and herd sheep, and maybe even a dog. You kill and butcher your own animals? We have people for that here. Generally a shepherd will take his sheep or lambs to the market and sell them anyway. Killing is someone else's job! So is sheering to be honest. Sheerer's exist here, at least. While you can learn to do it yourself it is usually a two person job and its so much quicker with an expert and i'm sure the sheep prefer a two second cut. Unless you're a keen walker you probably want an offroad vehicle and a trailer or flatbed. But the only requirement is to be able to count and enjoy walking fields in the rain. It's not high work per sheep at all. Having a little petting zoo if small scale is a decent shout as they'll only make you a few hundred a year each unless you have a huge number.

[@Hi_Im_Akward]

Goats are incredibly difficult to keep. They get into everything and have some of the worst health issues. They can be great pets for people who really like their personality, but it's kind of like saying people who like dogs should get a husky. On a scale of 1-10 difficulty, they are closer to a 10.

[@nettlesandsnakes9138]

@@Hi_Im_Akward I have to state this again, muts the best dogs; and the reasoning for that applies to every other animal.

[@Angela-gd3cj]

The smell of their poop makes bearded dragon poop smell like roses.

[@Jhud69]

Never experienced hedgehog poop, but gosh I remember having mice and the poop and pee smell was something else. Healthy beardie poop was no problem in comparison.

[@lilywong9672]

Do you feed yours fish? My hedgehog never had that bad of a poop smell.

[@____________838]

@@lilywong9672I was wondering about that, as long as I keep up with poop cleaning, I never notice it.

[@Ofallthings089]

What are you feeding your hedgehog?

[@Angela-gd3cj]

@@Jhud69 yeah, mice have such a strong smell, especially the boys. They were the only pet my parents ever made me get rid of because they stank to high heaven. I was gutted, they were so cute.

[@normalhuman9878]

My sister has two African Pygmy hedgehogs. Mother and daughter, actually. The mother is afraid of everything, including berries. She can occasionally be handled once calmed down, but she also has a little plush coffin she hides inside of that she rarely leaves. The daughter is evil incarnate and keeps escaping to her mother’s inclosure to bully her. She also bites like the devil whenever she’s mildly annoyed.

[@reptilez13]

They sure are cute. The lifespan of most small mammals get me. Even ferrets and other ferret like animals (if anyone ever starts a colony of captive bred stoats it's over for my free time and finances) are short when comparing to any reptile other than chameleons. Very boopable snoots those little hedges tho.

[@tell-me-a-story-]

Pretty sad that such a cute animal has such a short life. But I guess it doesn’t feel short to them.

[@amellish]

that's why i stopped keeping small animals/rodents as pets, it's just too hard with their relatively short lifespans. anything under ten years is going to be long enough to get attached to, and then heartbroken when they pass

[@Angela-gd3cj]

My ferrets lived the best part of 10 years, I’ve actually had dogs for less time. American ferrets have a much smaller gene pool though due to small original import numbers. And now people are breeding for angora and all that nonsense it’ll probably make them less healthy here.

[@Jaakko_Ruotsalainen]

@@amellish Yeah I was looking into hedgehogs and there's no way I could get one with their lifespans so short, but there's a possibility that in future we might get long living hedgies. In a study they found a whopping 16-year-old wild hedgehog in Denmark that had died. They also found few other over 10-year-old hedgehogs. Considering that they probably weren't some freaks of nature and we just haven't studied them enough there probably are many more as old if not even older hedgies in the wild. At least the oldest one had died because of a possible dog attack instead of natural causes meaning it could have lived longer and considering that animals tend to live considerably longer in captivity then it means it could have lived well into his twenties if the circumstances were right. Some good breeding and learning more about them could vastly increase their lifespans and get rid of their tendency to get cancer and WHS.

[@Swrdfshtrmbns]

I didn’t know that they were insectivores. I thought they ate marshmallows or something.

[@the_newt_nest]

I thought they ate chili dogs

[@capnmoby13]

They collect gold rings, too!

[@Ms.Pronounced_Name]

Everything eats marshmallows if you shove the marshmallows hard enough! (Do not actually try this, it is a tasteless joke!)

[@Peststurmtief]

I thought they ate spare tyres

[@knockers5943]

LOL 😂

[@mscottjohnson3424]

Aren't they incredibly fast? And how do I keep my gold rings safe? And my robots?

[@Klaevin]

growing up, my dad's family had a Hedgehog they called Gaston. it wasn't a pet like people have pet rats or cats, but more of like a hedgehog that lived in the wood pile they would feed dog food and sometimes get to play with.

[@kokodin5895]

i live in europe from time to time in the late winter wild ones self tame or take over our outdoor storage then demand cat food and those thing snore like a tank

[@cyberfutur5000]

When I was a boy my mother often nursed hurt hedgehogs back to health and let them out again. Always thought that was nice, nowadys I wonder how much the steady stream of wounded hedgehogs stood in relation to us having... idk.. four dogs or something like that.. (we had a lot of dogs back then, maybe even more than 4 at a time) :/

[@Static140]

Wher r u from?

[@racerrouth6484]

Thank you! I was debating on getting one, this has helped a lot!

[@klbriceno1]

"as a result of said enjoyment of life" LOL

[@OBIIIIIIIII]

-thats not a hedgehog, thats a tenrec- EDIT: you had me in the first half, im not gonna lie

[@BelgorathTheSorcerer]

I had this blue hedgehog once. Guy was a real smart ass and kept stealing my chili dogs and finger centric jewelry. He was too fast for the naked eye; just a blue streak speeding by. I had to take him out with a spike strip. Broke my heart.

[@LWMphoto]

My fiance and I just got back from a trip to China where we found a wild Hedgehog in a park in the middle of Shanghai She loves your phylogenies & pet reviews, excited to show her this one especially with the timing 😊 We're heading to the US in November & Springville was one of the first things we put on the itinerary 😁

[@AlexCorporations]

I have had two hedgehogs in my life, both little guys years apart. My first one got along with two of my cats, hated my dad, and enjoyed music (he would uncurl and watch me practice my violin and or trombone). Both were grumpy old boys and rescues. First one, Mr.Prickle-Pants, was not being loved/cared well by the son of a family friend, so he was my first hedgehog in 3rd grade, he was 3/4 when I got him, lived 4 more years. My second hedgehog, Draco who was an albino, was abandoned in a neighborhood. So I adopted him when a vet friend found him. Draco was at least 4 when we got him, he lived another 4.5 years.) Can be very difficult, and are specific in who they like, but have distinct personalities. Second one was an escape artist, first one liked to hang out with two of my cats. They helped me gain a lot of responsibility, independence, and get experience in caring for another living creature that most people don’t get. Definitely not for everyone, but they are really cool little guys, and wouldn’t give up that experience for the world.

[@eggpipes6924]

I have one of those "not hedgehogs" and can't wait for the coming video.. Finally you are covering something I have in my care.

[@jazztheglass6139]

Wild ones used to pretty common in Britain 50 years ago. I found one by a hedge in the middle of Liverpool about 45 years ago and took it home. My mum made me put it back.

[@Angela-gd3cj]

Given that they’re absolutely crawling with ticks and fleas, that’s probably a good choice.

[@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory]

They aren't common in Britain anymore? Due to tales of talking animals, I always assumed there were loads and loads of real hedgehogs all over the UK, they are in nearly every children's book lol

[@davidcopplestone6266]

@@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory Loss of habitat has been the main cause.

[@Angela-gd3cj]

⁠@@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory they’re not that uncommon but their numbers are in sharp decline….there’s a lot less hedgerows left in the uk sadly, and that was a perfect habitat for them. I think also the increased heat is not good for them.

[@tell-me-a-story-]

Oh, they aren’t anymore? What happened? Cats?

[@Ashleyyy414]

I came here to watch a hedgehog video because my son wants one. I left a subscriber because I love your energy and the way you talk about animals. ❤

[@dim300]

This video is great. I'm a wildlife volunteer from Israel, and we actually have here 3 different spices of hedgehogs (the long-ear is everyone's favorite). We don't keep them as pets, but it's one of the most common animals that needs a rescue (mostly cause of scabies). So we do have to keep them in our homes until there is a ride to the single wildlife hospital in the country. Thanks to the video, I've learned some new things about the hedgehog that I rescue, and hope that now I can give them a better care.

[@zacg_]

Since your guests are from Omaha, I hope you get a chance to visit the zoo in Omaha some day. It is absolutely on another level. People who are unfamiliar with the Omaha zoo may respond skeptically but those who have been there know what I'm talking about. The Omaha zoo genuinely puts most any other zoo in the USA (with the possible exception of San Diego) to shame. Clint, I think you'd lose your mind there because it's so amazing.

[@luxurypetscz]

I love when Clint has someone on his channel who's even nerdier than him about animals. Makes me feel home.

[@racerrouth6484]

P.s was that skin being chewed on from Gus Gus?

[@ClintsReptiles]

It was indeed! Great catch!

[@FlarryFlats]

You've skinned poor GusGus​?? You animal😤 @@ClintsReptiles

[@williamcozart8158]

I like how you use terms like "eliminate" and "output" to refer to their poo.

[@FNPetersen]

My wife and I are also in Nebraska. We recently had a hedgehog pass from an oral cancer, and we've contacted a breeder for our next hedgehog. I know we bought a wheel like the ones Hedgehog Precision sell, and our old hedgehog never liked it. But we regularly use hide bags almost exactly like theirs.

[@____________838]

Both of my hedgies have loved their Carolina storm wheels.

[@lirael423]

​@@____________838I had a Carolina Storm Wheel for my first hedgehog and it was fantastic! For my second hedgehog I had to make a wheel using a large cake topper because he was very long and couldn't quite stretch out all the way while running on the CSW.

[@AlRoderick]

This video puts the phrase "gotta go fast!" into a very different context.

[@paulgoogol2652]

short life span

[@tristoncheshire]

Hedgehog owner here! I've done a TON of research on hedgies but I'm super thankful to get this perspective and advice. Reggie the Hedgie thanks you, too. :) I'm gonna try out your guys' food!

[@Oyster_Man]

Man, that talk about vet care got to me. I used to have little rats, who have notoriously high vet costs. After 2 years it gets to a similar point with hedgehogs, where maybe you could pay a lot for diagnostics, but the likelyhood of it being anything actionable is low. Ultimately keeping them as comfortable and pain free as possible is the real goal.

[@beclouise8686]

What a lovely couple to have on the show! They were very knowledgeable and transparent. I'm learning so much about these lil guys! Also very excited to learn about Tenrecs! had no idea those could be kept as pets? and theyre smaller than I thought too 😊

[@nikidesignsolutionsandgami1518]

the goose seems like a good dinosaur to cover in a future video. People might scoff at this, but many claim them to be one of the best pet birds, but how good exactly?

[@Angela-gd3cj]

Excellent guard dogs not sure about pet quality 😂

[@smuglytherat]

I had a hedgehog and it loved to bite me when I wasn't looking, and when I pulled up and away from him, he'd hang on!

[@shaunadomescik2069]

18:56 Oh noooooo, not the wire wheels! I've had 2 hedgehogs over the years - they're wonderful little pets! They can definitely be a bit nasty if you don't clean daily. Great video!

[@Geneolgia]

Can't wait for the tenrec video, I like hedgehogs and when I learned about tenrecs it got me into the whole convergent evolution stuff.

[@EmpressUmeko]

I live in Sweden, we got wild hedgehogs here, they're protected you can't like pick one up and walk away. They're cute

[@indyreno2933]

In case everyone should notice, Insectivora is an outdated taxon, none of the small insectivorous placental mammals alive today are as primitive as previously thought and also do not form a single monophyletic group Insectivora is now replaced with six orders that are mostly unrelated to each other being Macroscelidea (Sengis and Fossil Relatives), Afrosoricida (Tenrecs, Potamoes, and Kruipmols), Soricomorpha (Shrews, Moles, Desmans, and Solenodons), Erinaceomorpha (Hedgehogs and Gymnures), Scandentia (Banxrings), and Dermoptera (Colugos and Fossil Relatives) Since these six new mammalian orders are not closely related to each other, the orders Macroscelidea and Afrosoricida both belong to the superorder Afrotheria, the orders Soricomorpha and Erinaceomorpha both belong to the superorder Laurasiatheria, and the orders Scandentia and Dermoptera both belong to the superorder Euarchontoglires, while Afroinsectivora is an officially monophyletic group within the superorder Afrotheria, the other proposed groupings Eulipotyphla and Sundatheria are invalid among Laurasiatheria and Euarchontoglires respectively, Eulipotyphla is polyphyletic because the order Soricomorpha is more closely related to bats (order Chiroptera) whereas the order Erinaceomorpha is more closely related to both pangolins (order Pholidota) and carnivorans (order Carnivora), and Sundatheria is paraphyletic because the order Dermoptera is most closely related to the primates (order Primata) whereas Scandentia is basal to both The similarities between these six placental mammal orders are due to convergent evolution

[@stefanostokatlidis4861]

Placental shrews, moles and hedgehogs are in Eulipotyphla now. I don’t know how much is convergence vs retention of primitive characteristics.

[@indyreno2933]

@stefanostokatlidis4861, actually, shrews, moles, desmans, and solenodons belong to the order Soricomorpha, while hedgehogs and gymnures belong to the order Erinaceomorpha, the two orders are not closely related and evolved independently, the Soricomorpha order is more closely related to bats (order Chiroptera) while the Erinaceomorpha order is more closely related to both pangolins (order Pholidota) and carnivorans (order Carnivora), the similarities between the orders Soricomorpha and Erinaceomorpha are due to convergent evolution.

[@stefanostokatlidis4861]

@@indyreno2933 they got reclassified again.

[@indyreno2933]

@stefanostokatlidis4861, nope, Eulipotyphla and Sundatheria are invalid taxa, the latter is a paraphyletic group to primates (order Primata) while the former is a polyphyletic group as shrews, moles, desmans, and solenodons are more closely related to bats whereas hedgehogs and gymnures are more closely related to both pangolins and carnivorans.

[@DavidSmith-vr1nb]

"Insectivore" is still a valid dietary description, which is useful when considering a pet.

[@golwenlothlindel]

I don't know about best overall pet, but I think they are the best class pet. We had one in 6th grade, named Sonic of course. Though he was not speedy, but he was very cuddly at least when he wasn't hiding under the couch. We just let him enter torpor over the summer when he would go home with the teacher. She would make sure he stayed fed, but otherwise didn't have to do anything. We fed him a homemade food, I think it was a kibble recipe with pureed cricket added: we had a blender and a microwave, and could get chemistry credit for making the food. To be fair we were right at that age where things like feces and urine are funny instead of just gag inducing. Also, we found out that one of the students had lice because we found him in her coat with his little snoot covered in blood. Not all heroes wear capes❤.

[@LillyP-xs5qe]

I would love you see cover goats as pets, i bet they would score higher than hedgehogs, especially pigmy goats

[@ClintsReptiles]

My wife really wants some, so I had better!

[@tell-me-a-story-]

Except goats need more space and food.

[@LillyP-xs5qe]

@@tell-me-a-story- but they are more hardy, easier to get, much better for handling, they will come to you for petting all the time, very easy to get food for them...

[@CainXVII]

​@@LillyP-xs5qe...eat your car, stand on top of everything, jump your fences, eat paint off your walls...

[@LillyP-xs5qe]

@@CainXVII they be active and curious, and can climb any surface that isn't fully vertical and smooth, and are great jumpers, just need to set good tall fences... And make sure they can't dig under them, I once was petting some neighbour pet goats at a friend's house and one of the kids squeezed himself under the fence so he could come cuddle me, he was adorable, just wanted me to scratch his back and horns, was so happy with it

[@CainXVII]

Hedgehogs are so cute and don't sound worse to me than keeping a bunny, which I happily did. But I am owned by a cat at the moment.

[@PavelNygryn]

You can ask your cat for permission, don't you?

[@garg4531]

Watching this video I just can't keep from fawning at how cute they are!

[@chriswhinery925]

Yeah I always thought hedgehogs were pretty cute but after hearing about their poop issues and the possibility that they might molest my furniture I think I'm just going to admire them from a distance.

[@JamesL2024]

Clints Reptiles, the best reptile youtube channel? You betcha. A 5/5. He's stinkin rad

[@dunslax3]

Make a pigeon video next clint! very underrated pet

[@nemilyk]

Zefrank's Creepy Dave voice: Iz a hegedehogede!

[@chrisleblanc581]

Had to comment just based on the best pet title. Unless I’m delusional, I have a distinct memory of hedgehogs being a likely source for the antibiotic resistance plasmid that is at the heart of wildly resistant pathologic bacterial strains like mrsa. If I recall the paper correctly (it was read for pleasure and not works as it’s not my area), because this mammal has a low normal body temp, fungal species capable of producing natural antibiotics can successfully colonize this mammal where it could not in hotter blooded species. Since bacteria also will colonize this animal, those bacteria had to develop means to cope with higher levels of natural antibiotics, hence the selection for presence of resistance plasmids that can then be shared by lateral transfer with other bacterial species including bacteria colonizing those who handle this animal. I don’t know about anyone else, but I would want keep a source of such resistance plasmids as a pet even if it was cute to look at. By the same logic, I would not keep bats, who have a higher than normal body temp, and thus have an immune system that can easily keep viruses in check that are potentially more pathological in the immune system of a cooler body temperature mammal.

[@Salazzarslaan]

Spoilers ahead, but I think the mystery critter is a lesser tenrec? They are an afrothere that occupies many of the small mammal niches on Madagascar.

[@lady_draguliana784]

I'm sure he detects your annoyance... he's just do dang positive to accept it! 🐕❤

[@wesleybarrett9502]

I have had two hedgies in my life. The first hedgehog was when i was very young. She was named Prickles. Prickles was sometimes prickly but tolerable. It took her almost 5 mins from first touch to relax. However she was good. She bit me once badly, but totally my fault since i had melted chocolate in hand. My second and current hedgehog is 2 years old. She is very social with me, and others when i am around. When just with my wife she is easy going on her terms. She has been on hikes and been given lots of supervised outside enrichment. Due to that she is very tolerant of a lot of things, but very much so prefers nighttime. The Quilling!! My second hedgehog was 11 weeks old and was a little tryant. However we kept good socialization and was at least tolerant of human interaction. This is a good video.

[@marliegirl9114]

Wow! I saw the video. I agree with everything stated! Well done! My sweet hedgehog recently died. She was 2.5 years. Tumors and internal bleeding. Nothing could be done. Shows signed of an illness for two days - did not want to eat. And she had a wonderful appetite. Fed her live insects and also Hedgehog Precession kibble - delicious and nutritious. I miss my sweet girl. Princess Apple Blossom. You were the very best!

[@revol_000]

Hmm... since we finally had a video about hedgehogs (which obviously aren't hogs, nor they are hedges) - can we now get a full video about insectivora? (*edit: and how that order ceased to exist?) :D

[@Daft_Vader]

Insectivora doesn't exist unfortunately. DNA sequencing proved that it was paraphyletic

[@revol_000]

​@@Daft_Vader Oh noo 😭

[@peterwimmer1259]

Greetings from Europe. Nice video. I just missed some topics concerning hedgehogs which I find important enough: 1) Here in Europe, it happens that people "save" a hedgehog that apparently missed the moment of disappearing into the wild for hibernating, supposedly because of not having found enough food in autumn to survive a long hibernation, and they keep the small one in their house. I often hear that hedgehogs then couldn't make it till spring where they would have been set free again. Why would they die in captivity? Temperature problems? Lack of food or water? A wheel missing? Hygiene issues or something else? 2) Should hedgehogs necessarily be kept as a "single child" or how would they react in company (of other hedgehogs or others, like guinea pigs)? (And no, I don't intend to have one as a pet; too often absent from home). 3) If you happen to find and "save" a hedgehog in the wild for whatever reasons, wouldn't it be better not to take the animal with you (or to the vet) since you might tear up a hedgehog family and cause a possible catastrophe by taking the animal away from its natural environment? 4) How are the kids brought up? By the mother only? Together with the father? How long do hedgehogs generally take care of their offspring? 5) Oh yes, I guess bringing male and female together would possibly not be a good idea, would it? Thank you!

[@wrencormier513]

I had a hedgehog for 6 years, and I just wanted to present some thoughts. They are hard to handle cause they pee and or poop when they're scared, or just cause. That is frankly the only handleability issue beyond their grumpyness. Assuming you have a sack for them, the spikes are not an issue and the allergy thing can be easily resolved with a cream (I had one but I forget what it's called). they make shockingly good road trip pets because they will sleep during the day and you can set them up in a smallish travel enclosure at night. They require a lot of poop cleaning, like daily wheel washing and spot cage cleaning. BUY A GOOD WHEEL. I highly recommend the Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel. It is easy to clean which is huge, it's also quiet and pretty reliable. They are not cats or dogs or even rats, they are not friendly and don't go into it imagining them as such, they do cuddle but they don't actively seek it out as more than a place to hide and sleep. Don't think of them like friendlier animals because they're not. They can be quite sweet, just not loving. Overall I'd give them like a 3.5 or a 4 for me anyway.

[@AdDewaard-hu3xk]

"Cats aren't the pet in the relationship." Hmm.

[@dannyspence2390]

"He has absolutely NO ability to detect annoyance" Me: *glares at my one year old German shepherd puppy*

[@ImpendingJoker]

Of course it's not a hedgehog, it's an ouch mouse.

[@nettlesandsnakes9138]

I think they’re closer related to mongooses, I could be wrong.

[@nickybeingnicky]

Yes

[@indyreno2933]

@nettlesandsnakes9138, it's more correct to say "more closely related to", get your grammar right.

[@Brandyalla]

@@indyreno2933 English might not be their first language, don't be an ass

[@nettlesandsnakes9138]

@@indyreno2933 I’m sorry for my bad grammar.

[@barjee8965]

12:25 what a sweet little angel OMG 🥰🥰🥰

[@atimidbirb]

We have wild hedgehogs around here, especially active in summer (so right now), and they are quite agreeable critters. Wild ones might actually let you pet them if you are VEEERY careful and gentle. They are also very loud. Their sniffing and huffing can be heard two floors up. They might also karate kick you if they dislike you instead of biting.

[@BetterMonsters]

Man, I've been loving these crossovers with focused keepers. I trust Clint to do good research, but there's something irreplaceable about the experience that comes from that sort of narrow focus

[@methanbreather]

when we raised two rescued wild baby hedgehogs, they got a whole room in the basement for themselves. It had several plus sides: they had room to run around. They were undisturbed most of the day. The smell of their poop was not wafting through the whole house...

[@whyukraine]

Here in Ukraine I have a lovely pet hedgehog in my garden. He eats the slugs, & sometimes the catfood. He fell down a hole & we saved him, & gave him a ramp in case it happens again. Super nice little guy.

[@chemistrykrang8065]

As a regular rescuer and re-releaser of european hedgehogs in my garden in the UK I can attest to how messy they can be. If I've got an underweight baby in a storage crate overnight on it's way to overwintering at a wildlife rescue I know that crate is going to look like a pooping bulldozer has deliberately trashed it within an hour. I love the little monsters, but they're pure chaos... and ours here get quite big (well over a kilo) and climb quite well.

[@katicasey4610]

If they respond well to S and K sounds… That means Sonic is indeed an optimal name for a hedgehog.

[@jamesofthejungle9754]

These animals are the bane of my existence, I work for an animal rescue and we have a few of these guys and they pop health problems like nobodies business. And this is with consistent vet check ups.

[@nicholaslienandjaja1815]

Fun fact: The most common name for pet hedgehogs is "Sonic". Now all we need are people with pet hedgehogs named "Amy", "Shadow", and "Silver".

[@christostryfonopouls5204]

Wake up babe, new clint’s reptiles video just dropped

[@jiachentee8363]

As a hedgehog owner this video took me by surprise! Love it!

[@matthiasuray4942]

Owning a lesser hedgehog tenrec myself I can tell some differences: Handelability is around the same, difference is that it will come out at day too, but the grumpiness... yeah, it has a nasty bite, and it can turn on you out of nowhere. Perhaps i failed in my social interaction with him, but in my case... he is the cutest thing in the world, but if he starts being nice to me I am allways sceptical.... Care is very easy, they love to climb (rather good), food is comparable, give them insects and they will turn into a monster. They also need a heater, mine chooses his hibernation time and is very clear he does not wants to be disturbed. For poop mine has his corner (in the least accessible corner of course), so easier here. A wheel for running would be wasted at least on my tenrec, he is the laziest animal I know, if he moves more than 10m a day that is a busy day. Hardiness I can't tell, i have mine for 4 years now and he is doing well. Availability is far worse, you will see them more commonly in zoos.

[@kazekageitachi]

I had hedgehog as a pets. First was a male then I decided to get him a partner. He unfortunately got poked in the eye trying to get to the action I just noticed when it's already bulging. I decided to bring him to the vet the next day and come next day he's eye is gone and no bulging anymore. he was acting normal like nothing happened. He is the most badass pet I had. Also he did made the female pregnant and had healthy babies. What I like about them is when I look they're bin they'll try to climb and when i place my hand in the bin they'll climb and stay there waiting for me to lift them up since it's play time. Got them for around 5yrs +

[@RobertKirkpatrick84]

They are cute pets, but the poop is rough. They also run run run all night long, so don't put them in earshot of your bed. It seems like the best you get out of them is indifference to you. They live longer than rats, which the lifespan is why i can't handle rats, in particular because of how affectionate and intelligent they are. Overall I'd say, hedgehogs are cool, but a lot of work relative to their side.

[@thatonepossum5766]

I’ve got the exact same problem with rats. I’d totally have some, but I get attached to pet _beetles-_ I couldn’t stand having such an intelligent, friendly animal die after so few years.

[@RobertKirkpatrick84]

@@thatonepossum5766 supposedly degus may be a good alternative, they live more than twice as long. The giant rats they train for landmine detection also live a lot longer too, though not sure if there is a pet trade of them or not.

[@Ofallthings089]

Getting a silent wheel is an alternative to that. My brother had a hedgehog. We share a room. At night it was actually quite nice hearing the tiny pitter patter of his little feet on an otherwise quiet wheel.

[@RobertKirkpatrick84]

​@@Ofallthings089my wheel was silent, but the pitter patter was definitely still a distraction for some people.

[@anthonysimeone365]

That Marvel style tenrec post credit scene on this video was wonderful my friend!😂

[@BioWorkAgency]

When "Olm, best pet amphibian?"

[@becketthutchinson9208]

I had a 4 toed hedgehog, his name was Charlie and he was my best bud. Such a sweet boy....with me....and other women. He hated men for some reason. He lived to be just over 5 and he developed cancer on his spine and lost the feeling and use in his legs. We helped him to pass at the vet and it was so so sad, but he lived to be an old man! He also loved to spend some spicy alone time...and I found if I didn't wipe his belly with warm water it would dry into a cement-like thing in his fur that needed to be soaked after. He came to me on shavings for substrate and as their penises are retractable he would sometimes get shavings stuck in the sheath. So we switched to fleece and it was great! I miss him so much. I have his ashes in an urn and have some of his quills in a bottle. He was a great pet! I don't know if I will ever have another, but if I do I think I'd like to try caring for the long eared hedgehog! Or maybe skip right over hedgehogs and get a Tenric!

[@homebrewznz3482]

I came across a hungry one running around during the day when we had a dry spell over here in NZ. I fed it every night, mince, boiled eggs, chicken, dog food. It became quite tame after a while.

[@ajhallatt9713]

I have had several hedgehogs and will never own one again. Nail trims are miserable, scraping poop off a plastic wheel is simply awful, and having a grumpy one curl around your finger is the woooorst. I have a tenrec now and will never go back, he gets a 5/5

[@drfill9210]

I know you say get a reticulated python. I'm sure they are lovely and charming... but I have 2 rescued cockatoos and 1 rescued pigeon. The pigeon is partially blind, so if the python gets out, we won't have to feed it for a while but my kids would ask all sorts of awkward questions about where the pigeon went.. if it chooses to take on one of the cockatoos- that would be a match that would get televised. I'm tipping the cockatoos would win... but not guaranteeing it... so my hot tip would be getting many questions about why the pigeon is missing, and why the python is now quite fat, but missing a head...

[@hunterivey]

I use to have a hedgehog, he was a great animal to have, but unfortunately he passed away due to cancer and I still miss him, also Clint I would love to see a Pig video from you, I can help you with that, because I have a pig and I made a pig care video as well.

[@Cinnamoroll.skypuppy]

that would be amazing tbh as id love to learn more about them . iv heard there really smart and social animals :] they dont get enough credit tbh

[@roboman260]

I love the best per series the most. Thanks for continuing

[@philipmanitta333]

Clint! I have a serious question for a professional taxonomist! I’m confused by some clades that are considered sister taxa, but did not emerge at the same time. Two main examples: within dinosauria, ornithischia and saurischia are considered sisters. But the ornithischia are not attested until the early Jurassic -30 MILLION YEARS later than Saurischia. So where did they come from? Either Saurischia is paraphyletic, or there must be a 30 million year lineage of “stem-ornithischia” for which we don’t have examples? Are we just punting that question until we have more data? Likewise - and even more converning, within spermatophytes gymnosperms and angiosperms are treated as sister taxa, but angiosperms are not attested until the Cretaceous, whereas gymnosperms go all the way back to the Carboniferous. What were the ancestors of angiosperms doing FOR 200 MILLION YEARS? Is there a line of “stem angiosperms” that I can’t find any information about? Or is Gymnospermae paraphyletic?? I would love a video from you discussing the systematics of phylogeny and addressing question like these.

[@alecklabunde6748]

My sister used to have a hedgehog that absolutely LOVED belly rubs and being stroked on her nose. She was the sweetest little creature. RIP Sweets.

[@jacoballey21]

as a fellow nocturnal, I appreciate hedgehogs.

[@BBB_bbb_BBB]

I don't think I'd ever own one myself, but I sure enjoy looking at other people's ones. One of my former co-workers had hedgehogs and they were just adorable. I really like the old man hedgehog in this video, he's adorable. It's nice to see that couple's food company ships to Canada, for those of us here in the north. If I change my mind about hedgehogs, I'll keep their store in mind.

[@griffhawkins8909]

Me seeing a hedgehog go to town on himself: "Now THAT'S an animal who knows the secret to a long, happy life."

[@seeing8spots]

The most delicate way to explain belly residue 😂 Great video!