# Is there any way to tell a hedgehogs age?



## Shaddybear

So I'm wondering if there is any way to tell hedgehogs age? Other then when it's young n goes thru a quilling or 2.. Here's the bizarre info I've come across that's making me question the age of my hog...

I got him on April 6, 2014 from an Ad placed on craiglist by a woman who sd she just couldn't devote the proper time that he deserves and she was trying to downsize the amount of animals she had (she had alot lol sugar gliders, dogs, chickens, baby chicks or ducks , n prolly more then that). She had him listed as 3 months old (I will attach the pics from the ad), and before I actually bought him we talked for a few days and she answered all of my questions, I asked if he was healthy n friendly n she sd yes he's healthy n a little shy at first but warms up to u after he's out for a little bit. So I take him home and he settled in fine, he was jumpy and still is, but that's to be expected and we are making progress. Now the other day I was searching the forum for something and I read an old post by an old member-- with the signature being the lady's name that I got my hog from, and the name she told she named him.. This is where it starts to get really weird, the post I was reading along with almost every other post made by this person is from 2010-2011.. Oh and also I asked her if she knew the hedgies bday cuz my son wanted to know, and the date she told me was the same date in her profile!
Knowing that this would make my hedgie around 4 years old, I continue to search thru posts of this person.. The hedgie that describes in a her posts don't really fit the personality of the hedgie I have, and then FINALLY I find a post with some pics of this hedgie of the same name and it's a totally different hog!!!

So now I'm totally confused lmao could this person have named a new hog the same name as a passed hog? The last post of the member was in 2012, n it wasn't about the hog passing..it's jus a totally weird situation!!
That's why I'm wondering if there's any way to tell a hogs age.. Like for example how a vet can get an idea of a dogs age by their teeth... I don't want to think that he's a young hedgie when in fact he's like 2, this way I can be more vigilant of problems that an older hedgie would have (not that I wouldn't be vigilant if he's young, but u know what I mean!!)
I have thought about asking the lady if she was ever a member of this forum or something like that, but i don't wanna come across like a creeper lol


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## Shaddybear

I couldn't figure out how to post more then 1 pic at a time, so I apologize... My avatar pic is also a pic that she sent me before I purchased him, along worth the pic in the above post and this one


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## Shaddybear

And this one was taken by me last week or so


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## Draenog

That's a strange story. You can't really tell the age of a hedgehog just by looking at it. Masks often fade when they get older, but some of them fade more than others so it isn't a good way to tell. What did the other hedgehog look like (you said you found a picture)?
Maybe you can just ask her about it?

And did your hedgie go through a quilling or not? Because if he was 3 months old when you got him he could still be quilling. And he should still be growing - is he growing or staying the same?
He does look rather small in some of the pics but it's hard to say...


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## Shaddybear

I know isn't it weird?? Could it all be a total conincidence?? He hasn't quilled with me, but the day I picked him up I asked her about it and she sd he did quill with her (so I jus figured he did it a little earlier) I attacked a pic of the other hog n he's got a lot more brown banded quills, where my hog doesn't have many many bands.. Do they fade THAT much??
Also the lady posting on here talked about feeding him a mix of cat food, my hedgie came with a bag of exotic nutritions hedgehog food.. Idk it's so weird! Lol Im thinking about jus flat out asking her but I don't wanna sound like a creeper! Bc I really did stumble across this accidentally! N I really don't think I would think much of it jus because of the names but the bday she told me is the bday that's posted in her profile info! 
She's hasn't been active on here in like 2 years either, so I don't wanna anyone to think I'm trying to stir up problems..
Also, does anyone think he looks like he's an adult by the pics I posted? I don't know what baby quills look like compared to adult quills


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## Draenog

Looks like a different hedgehog to me... yours seems to be a snowflake, and they can change a lot. They can have a lot of coloured quills at first and end up almost white after quilling. But the hedgehog in the picture looks like an older hedgehog (at least done with the mayor quillings) to me, and the mask seems lighter. I don't think it's yours.


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## Gem

Hi, 
I'd just flat out ask her, if she thinks your a weirdo so be it. (Being normal is rather boring anyway hehe) 
I don't personally believe they are the same hedgehogs. But it's strange that they not only share the same name but the same birthday. 
Unless she didn't know his birthday and made it up and just happened to call him the same name. (I'm presuming he isn't registered.)

I believe they quill around 4,6,9 and 12 weeks. So you may not of noticed anything when you first rehomed him. 

Young or old he's a cutie!!


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