African/European Cross-Breed?

[alanwales]

I was thinking, what would happen if a European and an African hedgehog managed to breed? What would the offspring look like? Is this even possible?

Please use this thread for civilised discussion and not mud-slinging. I am just curious and this is purely a hypothetical topic

[Steph]

My guess is that it would take on the dark traits in coloring of the Euro hedgies since dark is generally dominant, and probably be a bit larger than the African Hedgies. You could see a difference in foot size as well.

I would imagine this could happen as the hedgies we now have here in captivity in the states are a hybrid cross between the Algerian Hedgehog and the White Bellied Hedgehog (not the scientific terms for them btw, just the easiest for people to recognize) so I'm sure it could definitely happen.

I would not even begin to guess at the potential problems/benefits of a pairing like this, perhaps size would improve in the African hedgies but other than that I am not sure what a potential benefit would be from it.

[Jenn C]

How do you know what breed you have?

[Pippin'sMom]

How do you know what breed you have?
There's only one breed of hedgie that is kept as a domesticated pet which is the African Hedgehog.

[Lauren]

By researching about the breed that you are going to get, you'd be able to tell which breed you have. There are big characteristic differences, especially in size.

[Love4Hedgies]

Yes but some also carry Algerian traits meaning they were crossed at some point in time. Algerian hogs tend to have cheek patches.

[bloane]

I don't THINK they would be able to breed together. African hedgehogs are atelerix albiventris or atelerix algerius, I believe. European hedgehogs are Erinaceus europaea. I *THINK* that different genuses (atelerix and erinaceus) are not able to interbreed. Besides, the euro-pog would probably smush the APH. *grin*
As far as which type of hhs you have, if you live in North America, I can almost guarantee that you have a combination of the two species of hedgehogs that were brought innto the US, aka white bellied and algerian. I don't know of anywhere in North America that kept a pure breeding herd of either species.
Becca

[Pippin'sMom]

Becca, if you've got the genuses correct, then you're right, it's impossible for them to interbreed.

For example, a deer mouse and a house mouse (i.e. domesticated one) can't reproduce. It's the same species in a sense, them both being mice, but because of the different genuses, it's impossible for them to ever reproduce. Sorry to crush anyone's European/African hedgie dreams. ;) :laugh: