Bringing a hedgehog in your house is a great idea, especially if you are looking for a fun pet that is going to keep you entertained for hours. However, before you decide to bring a hedgehog in your house, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the way these animals speak and how they talk.
Understanding their different voices will make it easy for you to figure out what the animal is trying to say or convey to you.
You should know that the average hedgehog makes a variety of different noises. You will hear sounds that might resemble a baby bird and you might hear sounds that almost seem to be a steam train chugging on by.
In fact, some of these noises are quite alarming and if you don’t know what they mean, things can get a bit confusing.
But once you are able to understand exactly what these noises mean and what the animal is trying to convey to you, things will get easier for you. Now, one of the most common sounds that you will hear from your hedgehog is squeaking.
In fact, many people misinterpret this sound as the chirping of a baby bird. Figuring out what the animal is trying to say here is important.
People usually tend to mistake these noises, especially if the hedgehog is out in your garden, because these voices are usually made around the same time as a baby bird is being hatched. So, why do hedgehogs squeak? Let’s find out.
They Are Calling for Food
This is actually a pretty content sound made by the animal when it is calling out for food. You might think that the animal is distressed or worried but that is actually not the case.
The animal is simply calling out for food and when you hear this squeaking sound, it might be a wise idea on your part to just take a look in their cage and see if you have provided the animal with fresh food.
This sound is often made by baby hedgehogs so if you have babies in your garden, you might want to be cautious. Baby hedgehogs make this sound most frequently because they are calling for the mother to feed them.
Remember that during this time, it is important for you to avoid disturbing the mother as much as possible since she is going to be foraging for food all around and will be feeding her babies.
If you haven’t provided a nesting box for the mother hedgehog, it would also be a good idea on your part to do so. Having a nesting box for the mother will make things much easier and will allow her to tend to the newborn babies with ease.
Sometimes, the squeaking sound is also made by the male hedgehogs because they are looking to mate and trying to attract female hedgehogs as a result. However, in most cases, the squeaking sound is usually an indication of babies.
Other Sounds
There are plenty of other sounds that the animal is going to make that you should be aware of. Many of these sounds may seem too big to come out of a tiny creature such as a hedgehog, but you might be surprised at the pipes that these little guys have inside of them!
Let’s discuss the different sounds that they make.
Grunting
Grunting is common amongst hedgehogs and it’s actually how they got the latter part of their name. Hogs usually grunt and so do these tiny little animals. This is the noise that hedgehogs make when they are out foraging for food in the night or when they are just exploring their surroundings.
This sound might seem surprisingly loud to most people but as long as the sound is loud and snuffling, you don’t have much to worry about at all. The animal is happy and just going about their ways. There is no reason for you to startle them or make them worried about different things.
Chuffing
There is a chuffing sound that hedgehogs make when they are mating too. This sound is most commonly heard by homeowners coming from their gardens during the May and June periods, since this is the mating season for these animals. This is a mating call made by the female while the male encircles her.
It may seem as if the animal is just trying to put its male counterpart off but that’s definitely not the case. In fact, if you put your ear to it, you will realize that the noise resembles a miniature steam train. It’s a unique sound that you might never have heard before.
Coughing
Not all noises made by the hedgehog are actually good for the animal. For instance, the coughing sound is a clear signal that there is something wrong with the animal. If the animal has a dry and sharp cough, it just means that the nest is dirty or that there is something stuck in the hedgehog’s throat.
On the other hand, if the animal has a continuous chesty cough, you should know that it indicates something a bit more serious. There is a risk that your hedgehog has developed lungworms and the only thing that you can do is to take the animal to the vet.
If there are hedgehogs in your yard, you might want to get in touch with a hedgehog rescue that operates in your area to find out the best course of action.
Screaming
If you hear a screaming noise that is usually made by babies, you should know that the hedgehog is generally in pain or in severe discomfort. They might be stuck somewhere and if this noise reaches you from the garden, it might be a wise idea to investigate because it is a clear sign that the animal might be in need of your assistance.
These are just some of the noises that are made by hedgehogs in gardens and as you can see, many of these indicate that you don’t have to worry about much.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. I have a wife and two children and love taking them to the zoo to see all the animals. I grew up with dogs and fish and now have two dogs and two cats. I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.