Long Ears are relatively newer to the United States. With that being said, there aren’t many available and they do tend to be on the pricier side. Their care is similar to APH (your normal hedgehogs – African Pygmy Hedgehogs) with a few differences. They do need bigger cages and I would definitely recommend a 4x2x2 cage like a Zen Habitat or dubiaroaches.com has a nice version of it too. LEH have a lot of energy and because of that the bigger cage and a wheel are necessary for these cuties.

LEH are very prey driven and therefore are considered a “bitier” variety of hedgehog because they won’t hesitate to take a bite out of you especially if you smell like something they think would be tasty. They require a diet including a lot of protein based foods like raw, ground chicken or turkey, pinkies, other meat sources, and bugs along with the base diet of cat kibble like your APH normally would eat.

With having that higher prey drive and more energy, having different toys to give them lots of stimulation is recommended. They very intelligent (I’d hands down say more than APH) making them more easily bored. Giving them plenty of time out of the cage is also recommended to help appease that need for stimulation.

LEH aren’t for everyone, but they are extremely intelligent, soft, and just overall adorable adding to the fun hedgies are. Definitely feel free to ask questions about them if they’re something you’re thinking would fit well into your home.

Here’s our lil lovebugs:

THE BOYS:

THE GIRLS: