Hedgehogs are small tiny mammals with unique quills. As they are very small in size, they don’t need a huge amount of food. Furthermore, they are prone to obesity.
As a result, they need to be monitored on their food habits. Hedgehogs can eat many fruits and vegetables. So, it is very common to ask if they can eat bananas or not.
Are you wondering if hedgehogs can eat bananas or not?
Well, the hedgehogs can eat bananas. But you have to maintain a limit. You can’t feed more than one tablespoon to your hedgehogs. Also, you can’t feed bananas to your hedgehogs on a regular basis. You can give them bananas as a treat once a week. But there can arise some complex issues if you overdose bananas on your hedgehogs.
However, bananas are rich in nutrition, but you need to limit the proportion for hedgehogs. To learn more about this, keep reading.
How Many Bananas Are The Limit for The Hedgehogs?
One tablespoon of banana is enough for a hedgehog. Do not give the peel of bananas to the hedgehogs.
Only feed the banana to the hedgehogs once a week. You can offer some low-sugar fruits to the hedgehogs two to three times a week. Try to maintain this diet in order to keep the hedgehogs healthy.
Because bananas are full of nutrients but they contain more sugar than other fruits. However, ripe bananas are for hedgehogs and they contain lots of nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and manganese as well as antioxidants.
These work to keep the hedgehogs healthy and develop their immune systems. You can serve bananas by mashing them or you can keep them as it is whichever way your hedgehogs prefer.
Hedgehogs’ Food Maintainance
Hedgehogs can easily gain weight and can be towards obesity. As a result, their food maintenance should be the most priority.
First of all, add kibble for your hedgehogs as a regular and major food item. Because hedgehogs are very active and tend to lose energy a lot.
Then you can add two to three spoons of kibble to the regular diet for an adult hedgehog. You can also add fruits and vegetables for one teaspoon.
Nevertheless, you have to monitor your hedgehog’s weight so that they can’t gain above 10% of weight.
Also, hedgehogs are more active at night than during the day. You have to try to monitor your food habit accordingly. Lastly, do not feed the spoiled or yesterday’s food to the hedgehogs. Also, make sure of the availability of water all the time.
Is There Any Health Risk Related to Banana & Hedgehogs
As we know that overeating is not good for anyone’s health. Although bananas are full of nutrients, they contain a lot of sugar but they contain phosphorus too.
Bananas are good for hedgehogs but you should not overwhelm your hedgehogs with bananas on a regular basis. This is not just sugar, but this sugar can lead the hedgehogs to obesity.
However, phosphorus is another nutrient that can have an effect on hedgehogs. But, how? Well, phosphorus can lead the hedgehogs to block calcium absorption.
Furthermore, a healthy heart and strong bones are made possible by calcium and phosphorus, the former of which aids in bone formation. And the latter of which promotes a regular heartbeat.
This is why hedgehogs need to have foods that contain more calcium than phosphorus.
As a result, it’s not a good idea to feed your hedgehog bananas. As it includes just 5 mg of calcium. Also, here the amount of phosphorus is 22 mg per 100 g, as a substantial portion of their diet.
Therefore, you need to look out for and monitor the diet maintenance of hedgehogs.
General Food Items for Hedgehogs
The hedgehog’s major natural source of food is bugs and other insects. Hedgehogs use their sniffing and hearing abilities in order to catch any prey through the trees and bushes.
Basically, hedgehogs are omnivores but their preferred food is invertebrates. No matter if it is an egg from the bird’s nest or fruit, hedgehogs can easily have them when it is available to them.
However, this kind of food chain is becoming limited for hedgehogs. Because in agricultural production, people use pesticides and other chemicals. These are the reasons behind the lowering of the number of invertebrates.
Hedgehogs are the only mammals capable of digesting insect chitin. This is a source of protein as well as fiber. Additionally, insect exoskeletons include this chitin.
Therefore, insects are a good source for hedgehogs. That said, the hedgehogs need other foods too. (e.g, fruits, vegetables, cooked meat, crickets, wax worms, mealworms, cooked eggs, kibble, etc.)
However, dried vegetables and carrots are not for hedgehogs. We will know about food habits and food differences between wild and domestic hedgehogs later in this article.
Risky Foods for Hedgehogs
There are some foods that can be risky for your hedgehogs. Plus, these foods are toxic to your hedgehogs. For example, grapes, citrus, raisins, onion, dried fruit, garlic, unripe fruits, avocado, dried vegetables, etc.
Additionally, avoid seeds and pits of fruits like apples, plums, peaches, mango, etc. Therefore, you should avoid these foods for your hedgehog’s diet.
Wild Hedgehog Vs. Domestic Hedgehogs- Food Difference
Domestic hedgehogs and wild hedgehogs have differences in food habits.
Wild hedgehogs are busy preying and their foods are rich in insects. They basically depend on your gardens’ insects and other invertebrates.
Their food items include lizards, snakes, amphibians, snails, worms, carrion, mushrooms, bird’s eggs, etc. But they also eat fish, meat, melons, etc.
On the other hand, domestic hedgehogs’ diet is not high in insects. Because they need a well-balanced diet of foods that are rich in nutrients.
Having a hedgehog in confinement increases the risk of obesity. Therefore it’s crucial to keep a close eye on how much food your hedgehog consumes.
So, you need to monitor their eating habits because if your hedgehog gains 10% of its body weight, it’s time to change its food.
Well, for domestic hedgehogs you can choose pellets, mealworms, kibble, fresh fruits, berries or vegetables, etc. Also, you can add different fruits like apples, tomatoes, blueberries, and melons. Cooked meats or eggs can be another option.
FAQs
Are hedgehogs lactose intolerant?
Yes, they are and so you should never feed them dairy products.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Biscuits?
Dog and cat cookies of good quality are preferred for hedgehogs.
Which Foods Should Not Feed to Hedgehogs?
Grapes, raisins, any dairy product. Also, hedgehogs can not digest Bread.
Verdict
I hope you have got all your answers regarding the question- can hedgehogs eat bananas?
Furthermore, it is important to note that small chunks of delicious, ripe bananas are a welcome addition to the usual diet of hedgehogs, both domestic and wild respectively.
However, you need to know about the banana proportion and the amount you can feed your hedgehogs in a week. You need to know about the backlashes of this too.
Finally, if you are confused about anything, ask a veterinarian who is knowledgeable on hedgehog nutrition. They will be able to help your hedgehogs to keep healthy and developed what it requires. Adios!
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