What Does The Call Of My Hedgehog Mean?

Does your hedgehog makes grunting and snuffling sounds (similar to pig's grunting)?

Does your hedgehog makes chuffing sounds (similar to steam train)?

Does your hedgehog makes chirping sounds (similar to baby birds)?

Does your hedgehog makes coughing sounds?

Does your hedgehog makes quacking sounds (similar to duck quacking)?

Does your hedgehog makes hissing sounds?

Does your hedgehog makes barking or clicking sounds (short sharp noise) while it ducks its head and bobs up?

Does your hedgehog makes snoring sounds?

Does your hedgehog makes screaming sounds (similar to baby scream)?

Grunting and snuffling is the basic noise that hedgehogs make when they’re out and about, busy searching for food at night. Though the noise can be surprisingly loud, a grunting, snuffling hog is perfectly happy and should be left to go about her business.

You can hear chuffing noise in your garden in May and June during the hedgehog mating season. The call is mainly made by the female as the male circles her. The noise does sound just like a miniature chuffing steam train. It’s quite distinctive and you will easily recognize it.

Chirping is the sound of happy baby hoglets in the nest calling for food. It is easy to mistake this noise for the call of baby birds, especially as it happens at around the same time of year as garden bird chicks are hatching.

A dry, sharp “barking” cough probably just means the hedgehog’s nest is dirty and dusty, the hedgehog has something stuck in its throat. A continuous wet “chesty” cough, like a smoker's cough, on the other hand, is more serious and could be a sign that your hedgehog has lungworm.

Hedgehogs might make the quacking noise if they are stuck in something. Young hedgehogs also tend to make this noise if they are hungry.

When a hedgehog hisses, it means he is annoyed and wants you, other hogs, or other animals to clear off. Hedgehogs will often make the hissing noise if their nest is disturbed or if they are cornered or approached by a predator.

This noise is a challenge, and the movement is the hedgehog attempting to head-butt its opponent and stab them with its spines. The noise is most often heard when one male challenges another during the mating season.

The snoring sound usually means the hedgehog is peacefully asleep. But if you should hear the snoring noise whilst the hedgehog has its eyes open, it may indicate that the hedgehog is having trouble breathing. This could be caused by lungworm or some other respiratory problem.

This noise is only made by hogs in severe distress and pain.

A hedgehog sneeze is usually just down to a tickle in the nose and nothing to worry about.