# male or female?



## GT_Ridaz (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi,
i recently caught a desert hedgehog.He always curls up so i cant really tell if he's male or female !
My gf said she noticed "Testicles".I remember reading somewhere how to tell if its male or female, but it didnt mention anything about males having testicles, so i was wondering, is that true?
Also, i see on youtube people having hedgies and they have fun and play with them, mine curls up if u even come close. Can desert hedgies also behave like the garden type and become friendly to humans, or will they always be wild?

Thanks in advance


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Where do you live?


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## GT_Ridaz (Aug 8, 2010)

I live in Doha,Qatar!!


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Could you post some pics,please  !! We would love to see a wild african hedgehog. Our hogs are not european they are african too and we keep them inside as pets. The testicles do not show...a boy will have what looks like a belly button.


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## GT_Ridaz (Aug 8, 2010)

well thats what i have read. But my GF swears she saw, and i quote "huge testicles" . 
i do have some pics but they are not that clear...let me try and post em anyways


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## GT_Ridaz (Aug 8, 2010)

ok here is the pic. Sorry its not so clear:


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I had to look up that country and found it's near Saudi Arabia. I just seen some pictures and its beautiful. That is so cool that you found one, I'd love to see pictures to if you are able to upload them


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

I'm going guess and say that's a long eared egyptian hedgie.


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## GT_Ridaz (Aug 8, 2010)

Yup, Qatar is right next to Saudi Arabia...the thing is, we use to have them all over the place. But since its a tiny country and people are bulding new buildings every second, we dont see them so much anymore 
So my plan was to catch a male & female, and get their babies and take care of them and just return the parents to the desert.
Sometimes i have to drive around in the desert for hours just to see one  
I was thinking about going tomorrow night to find a 2nd one


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## GT_Ridaz (Aug 8, 2010)

so....can a Desert hedgie be kept as a pet or not?
Will they ever get used to us and feel safe around humans?


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## joshb. (Aug 11, 2010)

I would think that any adult animal caught in the wild would be nearly impossible to tame. If you were to breed them, you may be able to tame the babies. But taming captured wild animals might be frowned upon on this forum.


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## DeniseLynette (Aug 12, 2010)

Yeah, I dont think its a good idea to catch that thing & take it out of its habitat!
But those long ears have to be sooo hard to resist.

Oh well, good luck with everything & if you can post some more pics


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## schmelderz (Jul 7, 2010)

I just googled desert hedgehogs and squealed! They're soooo cute >_< I'd want to keep one too.. but I guess you shouldn't try to tame him for its own good


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## DeniseLynette (Aug 12, 2010)

I didnt think about googling it...lets see here.
Awh omg, your right! Sososoo cute. 

Here everyone, Ill save you the trouble


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## tracie (Jun 16, 2010)

Omg, I want one!


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Awww! So cute!! He's like a Spock hedgie!


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Like a little spiked fox. Yeah I wouldn't attempt to keep an adult as a pet, like everyone else said, its typically impossible to tame a wild creature once its an adult, if you get them young then they are raised with human contact and are use to it. Its like we raised a pair of skunks from when they were new borns, and of course as adults they were friendly to humans, at least to us, but you couldn't pay me enough money to go and try and catch a wild one to keep as a pet.

I have to admit I do like the idea of you attempting to breed a litter and then once the babies are old enough, releasing the parents back into the wild. I'd imagine the male you'd only need for getting the female pregnant. I only like this idea because from what you said, sounds like their habitat is being destroyed, so you are more or less preserving the species. Not sure what everyone else thinks on the subject.


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## GT_Ridaz (Aug 8, 2010)

Puffers315 said:


> Like a little spiked fox. Yeah I wouldn't attempt to keep an adult as a pet, like everyone else said, its typically impossible to tame a wild creature once its an adult, if you get them young then they are raised with human contact and are use to it. Its like we raised a pair of skunks from when they were new borns, and of course as adults they were friendly to humans, at least to us, but you couldn't pay me enough money to go and try and catch a wild one to keep as a pet.
> 
> I have to admit I do like the idea of you attempting to breed a litter and then once the babies are old enough, releasing the parents back into the wild. I'd imagine the male you'd only need for getting the female pregnant. I only like this idea because from what you said, sounds like their habitat is being destroyed, so you are more or less preserving the species. Not sure what everyone else thinks on the subject.


well yah in a way i guess your right. I dont think i came tame him but if i do have babies i probably could do that.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Considering how many more difficulties people have had attempting to breed long eared hedgies, I wouldn't get your hopes up. Even if you happen to get both a male and female, they may not be receptive, especially since they will be stressed from being held in captivity. If the female does happen to get pregnant, there's no guarantee she won't eat the litter if she feels threatened at all, and then there's the concern of if they do well in captivity, how much more vulnerable are they going to be when released into the wild? Lots of things to consider with wild creatures.


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