The African Pygmy Hedgehog is actually the domesticated hybrid of the Algerian Hedgehog and the 4 Toed Hedgehog.
Although hedgehogs have been kept for thousands of years and have been linked back to Ancient Rome, the actual practice of domesticating them became popular in the early 1980's. Before that time, owning a hedgehog was quite unheard of and when they were kept it was primarily for meat and also for various uses of their quills.
In the 1980's, however, the African Pygmy Hedgehog was developed by crossing tow African species of hedgehog, the Algerian and the 4 Toed Hedgehog.
Despite the term domestication, hedgehogs are not completely tamed. While efforts have been made over the years to breed out some of their fear reactions and some of their "wild" instincts, they still have many of these behaviours.
Over the years, breeders began to introduce different colours and patterns to the domesticated hedgehog and today, they are as diverse and varied as their personalities.
Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:56 pm
