Hedgie Came Home Last Night!

[jessran_88]

Last night I finally brought my hedgehog home--After he had been out sitting on my lap for a while I rolled him over to trim of his nails and noticed something. When he was at work me and my boss checked him out and we were pretty sure it was a boy. When I checked at home he looked more like a she. There is a spot that looks like a small belly button and that usually means its a boy. Well--we checked that a few weeks ago and last night when I looked the belly button was gone and it definitly looks like a girl. Has anyone else had this happen? I scheduled a vet appointment for a general exam so I am getting the sex triple checked to be certain.

I was also wondering about her color. The baby hogs came from a female that my bosses brother rescued from a bad situation so we don't know a lot about the parents. But my hedgehog's quills are white on top with a milky grey/brown band and then white again. The very tip of the quills is very dark. From far away she looks really dark but up close she is really light brown. Does that sound like any specific color? I am going to post pictures but my mom gave me my digital camera but forgot the cards and cord so I can't hook it up to the computer right now.

Thanks,
Jessica

[jules_77]

congrats, pics would be great!

[Ododad]

I guess you must have been mistaken before. If there is no "belly button" then it's a girl alright. The case of the sex changing hedgie! lol
Without a photo, it's nearly impossible to say what color "she" might be. Here is a link that may help you though. Congrats on getting you hedige home! I look forward to seeing "her". Here also is a photo of a male and female that may help.
http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/colorguide.shtml

[Love4Hedgies]

Congrats! Can't wait to see pictures! :)

[jessran_88]

I am still pretty sure its a female--but she does have a little mark on her belly that was very noticeable when she was yonger. I was wondering--Could it have been from an umbilical cord or something? I know my dogs and cat all have "belly buttons".

After looking at a bunch of pictures I'd say she is considered either chocolate or brown. The pics in Odosdad's link have been the closest--she isn't as orange looking as the brown though. The brown is a little bit too dark. I need my camera parts back. :|

Thanks For the Replies Though,
Jessica

[Hedge_girl]

From your description of the quills, I agree that she seems to be one of the two. For deciding between the chocolate and brown coloring I have heard the following: look at the skin on the back of the neck, between the front shoulders. Compare the color of that skin with skin further down hedgie's side, towards the edge of the quills. Browns will have a uniform grey skin but a chocolate will have darker grey skin between the front shoulders than towards the side.

[jessran_88]

From that skin color tip I would say she is a brown--her skin is really light grey all over her entire body.

Thanks,
Jessica