# Darkness levels



## tazzatrillz (Feb 4, 2011)

I've read a lot on the forums about lighting but do hedgehogs need absolute darkness at night? I'm asking this because sometimes my boyfriend and I spend a lot of time in my room with the light on and I'd hate for it to bother my hedgie.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Every hedgie is different...some ppl say even the power light from their computer is too much and others, like Snarf, will wander around and do his regular stuff with BF playing Xbox or watching TV. You just gotta test it and see...at first I forebade andy noise/movement/lights anywhere near Snarf - that didn't really work, so once he was 'ours' for awhile, we just went about our routine and watched him carefully. He always has darkness between midnight and 6am, tho'...but it's never compeltely dark cuz of outside light.


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## tazzatrillz (Feb 4, 2011)

:lol: I've read a few of your posts about Snarf and I love how he doesn't seem to care about anything but mealworms, bless him.
My boyfriend is a bit of a night owl, so the lights in my bedroom are on after midnight, that's why I was quite worried about ruining her routine. 
I guess I could fashion a cover to go over most of the cage that is exposed to the light.
But as you said, it'll have to be a trial and error job.


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## Nebular (Dec 28, 2010)

I don't think they need absolute darkness (though again, it could vary by critter) since they are nocturnal and need some small amount of light to hunt insects in the wild. I keep my little guy in my bedroom with the (incredibly thin) curtains drawn and he's perfectly happy with that.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

When Jamie started playing that stupid xbox, I changed Snarf's schedule by 2 hours so his light turned on later (9am) just in case he wasn't getting as much dark time as he wanted.

Now his schedule is: HIS lamp - on 9am to 10pm...we use minimal lighting before 9am partly cuz of Snarf and partly cuz mornings are obnoxious; I start turning down lights at 9 or 10 - the brightes go off when Snarf's lamp goes off. Often the TV will be on until 12am, with some occasional 2-3am xbox-a-thons. :roll: 

Having done all this, Snarf kinda does what he wants: sometimes he's up wandering around at 9pm...sometimes he's up until 9am...and he doesn't appear to be affected by the TV (BF uses headphones, tho' so no sound).

I would see how things seem to affect her before changing anything unless you don't mind the change. I could vacuum with a brass band at 10pm or 10am...Snarf wouldn't even notice.


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## tazzatrillz (Feb 4, 2011)

Nebular: Well I lack windows in my room because it's built into the attic and I quite like not having the sun wake me up in the morning, so sunlight isn't a problem. It's just my daily comings and goings I'm worried about. 

MissC: Hopefully my new ball of spikes will be as tolerant as Snarf when it comes to tv and brass bands. :lol: 
Noise isn't usually a problem because I beat Jamie until he's quiet as he's bloody noisy when he's on Skype too and we're guilty of a few 3am xbox sessions as well :')

Fingers crossed eh.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

Nebular said:


> I don't think they need absolute darkness (though again, it could vary by critter) since they are nocturnal and need some small amount of light to hunt insects in the wild. I keep my little guy in my bedroom with the (incredibly thin) curtains drawn and he's perfectly happy with that.


Some hedgies do need complete darkness. One of my girl won't come out of her igloo if there is any light in the room, no matter how dim it is. Even a computer screen on the other side of the room facing the opposite direction of her cage is enough not to let her come out. It depends of the hedgehog.


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## tazzatrillz (Feb 4, 2011)

She's just come out so I turned on my fairy lights so I could have a look at her and she seemed fine with that.
Tv and more lights is another matter though so I'll have to see how she does.


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## Kenzi (Aug 29, 2010)

Mila won't be active at all if there is light. Even a tiny amount from the street light outside shining through the window (even if the curtains are mostly closed) will keep her from eating/drinking/wheeling. I always use a clothespin to secure the curtain in place now. 

Ebba doesn't seem to care. I will go in and flip the light on and she doesn't flinch. Mila will huff and sometimes run back to her igloo.. 

Water to witches is like light to my Mila. haha.


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## tazzatrillz (Feb 4, 2011)

Haha aww, I can't imagine a hedgehog moving quickly anywhere.
I can see soon whether she is all too bothered with the light when I go to my room and switch on my lights. If push comes to shove, I can always buy some material and fashion her a curtain.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

My boy didn't mind lap top light. 

But if I ever have the tv on, or for whatever reason I needed light, it'd be a small desklamp, where the direction of the beam can be adjusted, and I have a fleece blanket that covers his cage, so that he gets just enough darkness that he needs. 

When I bring my boy out to my apartment though, he needs to have the fleece cover over his cage because of the street lights.


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## tazzatrillz (Feb 4, 2011)

Aww, your boy really isn't fond of light then. At least he'll put up with a laptop and that.
Yeah I was thinking of getting another bigger piece of fleece or even just a cheaper material to cover most of her cage if she really isn't fond of the light. 
Knowing my luck with awkward pets, she's going to hate light and I'll have to forever live in darkness.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Much like others have said, darkness can play a major factor in their activity levels, and indeed some do require ZERO light. You more or less just have to judge for yourself, but to throw down in the pot.

Hester - Doesn't mind the light from the tv or my computer monitors, though seems as she has reached a year old, likes it darker than its been.

Loki - If there is even a hint of light, he'll come out to eat and drink, then go back to bed. Took me a month to figure out why he wasn't being active, his previous owner said he was a wheeling madman and he hardly was wheeling for me.

Just gotta judge, if you can provide them with utter darkness, you might as well give it to them, otherwise you just monitor and see how active they are.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

tazzatrillz said:


> Haha aww, I can't imagine a hedgehog moving quickly anywhere.


Don't let their sometimes sloth-like demeanor fool you...Snarf runs 6 miles an hour for 3 hours straight and has ninja-like reflexes that enable him to make it from the back of the couch to the edge in the blink of an eye...he's had so many close calls with me sitting right. stinking. there. and STILL he dashes past me... :roll:


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## tazzatrillz (Feb 4, 2011)

Puffers315 said:


> Just gotta judge, if you can provide them with utter darkness, you might as well give it to them, otherwise you just monitor and see how active they are.


I was thinking about seeing how it goes tomorrow seeing as laptops, lights, tv will all be in full force.



MissC said:


> Don't let their sometimes sloth-like demeanor fool you...Snarf runs 6 miles an hour for 3 hours straight and has ninja-like reflexes that enable him to make it from the back of the couch to the edge in the blink of an eye...he's had so many close calls with me sitting right. stinking. there. and STILL he dashes past me... :roll:


 :lol: I totally take this back now that I've had Tumbles out and on my lap, they can move when they want to. Oh god, I would not enjoy sitting on that little ball of spikes. There'd be blood, spikes and pain everywhere.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Yeah don't let their "slow" movement make you think they're just slow. Loki before I figured out the darkness factor would come out and literally dart around his cage, I was amazed at how fast he was (literally like Sonic the hedgehog...). They're quick little buggers when they want to be.


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## tazzatrillz (Feb 4, 2011)

Tumbles hasn't been doing much darting around, she has been in bed for a good while now, occassionally popping out for food but I read that that's to be expected from hedgehogs until they get used to their new home.
Hopefully everythings fine and she'll star popping out more often.


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