If you ever come across a hedgehog that's not moving and cold, you may wonder, “How do I know if a hedgehog is dead or hibernating?” Hopefully it's never your hedgehog…not that finding any hedgie in that condition would be easy. It's much harder though if your heart is tied to theirs. Let's see what Quilly has to say about identifying the difference between a hedgehog that is dead or hibernating.
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Here is the transcript for “How do you know if a hedgehog is dead or hibernating?”:
Hey hedgie fans!
An anonymous viewer recently asked, “How do you know if a hedgehog is dead or hibernating?” I know this isn’t a happy topic, but it happens sometimes.
If you find a hedgehog that doesn’t appear to be breathing, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re dead. It may be hibernating and appear to be dead.
There are actually a few ways you can tell the difference between a hibernating hedgehog and a dead one.
When a hedgehog hibernates, it balls up into a tight ball, so if it’s laid out flat then it’s most likely dead.
The reason I didn’t say they are definitely dead is if the temperature is hot, then they may be aestivating…which is similar to hibernating but occurs during a period of overheating.
When us hedgehogs get overly hot, we will splay our bodies out so that our belly has contact with a cooler surface. If we cannot cool down that way, our body may go into a state of aestivation.
All working body systems produce heat and if we’re already overheated, our bodies may try to slow down the vital systems like heart rate and respiration. Although, if you touch an aestivating hedgehog, it will usually stir and move slightly.
So if they are laid out flat but they won’t move at all and they’re joints are stiff, I’m sorry to say they’ve died.
If the hedgehog you’re questioning is dead or hibernating is in a tight ball, then check these things.
- A hedgehog that is merely hibernating will still have a heart rate that can vary from 2-50 beats per minute. So check them with a stethoscope if you have one.
- If you don’t have a stethoscope, maybe you have a thermometer. A hibernating hedgehog has a 41-50° Fahrenheit core body temperature (that’s 5-10° Celsius).
- You can try to check for breathing, but a hibernating hedgehog’s respiration rate is very shallow and can decrease to around 15 breaths per minute.
- If you can’t verify using one of those methods, you can always attempt to warm them up. If it’s your own pet, you can use direct contact with your skin if you want – or – if it’s a wild hedgehog you’ve found, I don’t think anyone would blame you for using a heating pad covered with a thick towel as a barrier.
If heat doesn’t rouse the hedgehog, then I’m sorry to say but they have crossed over rainbow bridge.
If it was your pet, I’m very sorry for your loss. If you’re a person of faith, maybe our article “Will There Be Hedgehogs In Heaven?” will help you. Or maybe you know someone that has lost their hedgehog. That article may give them some comfort.
If you have any questions about hedgies, please let me know in the comments below or write me on my website!
If you’d like to learn more about hedgehogs, please comment, like, and subscribe to my channel so you’ll know when there’s a new Ask Quilly video!
Until next time, Bye for now!