Touching a hedgehog spike feels like a sharp prick and can penetrate the skin, causing minor irritation, itchiness, or redness, but the biggest risk is bacteria like Salmonella or fungi (ringworm) on the quills, which can cause skin infections or illness, so it's best to wear gloves and clean any puncture thoroughly. While not barbed like porcupine quills, they are sharp and can cause small wounds that need care, say Reddit users and medical resources.
Hedgehogs are small nocturnal mammals that are blanketed with spikes along their backs. Like porcupines, hedgehogs have these quills for protections against predators. However, hedgehog quills are not barbed and do not puncture the skin—but they can still hurt if handled improperly.
The little prickles of the spines can irritate your skin temporarily and cause your skin to then react in that way. I always just get a little soap and water and rub it wherever my skin has that reaction. I tend to wear sweaters/robes when handling my hedgehog so theres a thicker fabric barrier between her and my skin.
Hedgehog quills can penetrate the skin and spread bacteria that may lead to illnesses in pet owners. If you get a puncture from a hedgehog quill be sure to clean your hands and the puncture area thoroughly. Monitor the puncture area carefully for signs of infection.
The spines can readily penetrate the skin and are a nidus for dermatophyte infection that can be transmitted to humans. Dermatophytosis is the only previously reported cutaneous inflammatory reaction as a result of hedgehogs.
Their spines are not poisonous or barbed and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, do not easily detach from their bodies. However, the immature animal's spines normally fall out as they are replaced with adult spines. This is called "quilling". Spines can also shed when the animal is diseased or under extreme stress.
Cute and low maintenance, African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) are kept in 40 000 American homes, but people handling them are at risk of contracting a number of zoonotic diseases, from ringworm and salmonellosis (the commonest) to arboviral encephalitis and herpesvirus infections.
No, hedgehogs are not poisonous.
Risk to human health
One of the lungworm species that infects hedgehogs (and also infects wild carnivores) in Great Britain, Capillaria aerophila, is known to be capable of occasionally infecting people.
A hedgehog shouldn't usually be pottering around in the daytime as it is against their natural rhythm and routine. If you are concerned about a hedgehog that is active all day, particularly in bright sunshine, or not moving very much, report them to a rescue centre which will advise you what to do.
Once your hedgehog is comfortable being handled, you can stroke their quills, let them climb on your arms, and explore under your supervision.
The spines are about 2.5 to 3cm long, and about 2mm wide at the widest point. As we know, each prickle tapers to a very sharp end, but the end that goes into the skin tapers too and bends through 60 degrees before expanding into a ball which anchors the spine into the hedgehog's skin, again much like human hair.
The best and quickest thing you can do to help an injured hedgehog is to take it to a vet. Please call ahead first. Watch the video to see how to safely help them. If you're worried or unsure, ask a friend or neighbour to give you a hand.
Perhaps the biggest myth of all is that a hedgehog can shoot its quills! Can you shoot the hair out of your head? Just like your hair, a hedgehog's quills can fall out or break off, but the hedgehog cannot shoot its quills to defend itself. In Europe, people consider hedgehogs to be friends of backyards and gardens.
Hedgehogs have quills, which may poke you. This is exactly like pricking your finger with a needle when you are sewing on a button, or whatever. You do not have to do anything. Wash the poked area with soap and water and then move on.
Even though hedgehogs are “pets” they may not automatically enjoy being petted. You must first earn your hedgehog's trust so that it can relax and enjoy your touch, rather than fear your touch as potential harm.
Unlike porcupines, hedgehog spines are not barbed or poisonous. They are made of keratin, the same material that makes up our hair and nails!
Diagnosing lungworm can be difficult because symptoms vary, but they can include:
Hedgehogs can carry Salmonella germs that can make people sick even if they look healthy and clean. Hedgehog owners should always follow steps to stay healthy around their pet hedgehog.
They have sharp needles all over their backs which can penetrate the skin. It will often itch if a needle does and may cause a rash. I've personally never had a rash when the needles penetrate my skin but the area of skin will usually itches for a while.
No! Please don't do this. It's great that you want to encourage hedgehogs into your garden, but taking one from an area where it knows food and water sources to an unknown area isn't fair. More worryingly, it could have dependent young in a nest – without its return, the nest will fail and the young won't survive.
For fruits, you can offer bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, apple, and watermelon. Some safe veggies include asparagus, bell pepper, cucumber, green beans, zucchini, and radishes. You can also offer small amounts of corn and peas on occasion.
A factor that may contribute to the transmission of fungal infection from hedgehogs to humans is a body covered with spines. Thus, handling hedgehogs without gloves greatly increases the risk of dermatophytosis in humans.
During extreme muscle exertion, the 'purse-string' muscle can fold up over the pelvis and get stuck: the pop-off syndrome (Bexton, 2019). The muscle goes into a spasm, which leaves the hedgehog unable to roll up and causes the pelvis and hind legs to remain visible. This is very dangerous for the animal.
Don't handle the hedgehog for longer than you need to, as contact with humans will be stressful for them. And always wear gloves, as they can carry diseases like ringworm and salmonella bacteria, which can be passed to humans.