Q&A: Get to know the Tulsa Zoo's hedgehogs

The Tulsa Zoo has several hedgehogs, but most zoogoers do not know it because the little critters are not on exhibit. The four-toed hedgehog is what the zoo calls an "animal ambassador" and is used for special events and participate in offsite programs like local school visits. On the Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch, we got to know hedgehogs Fig and Newton a little better.

Q: What is a four-toed hedgehog?

The four-toed hedgehog, also known as the African pygmy hedgehog, is a species found in central and eastern Africa. They are nocturnal animals meaning they are more active at night. A full grown four-toed hedgehog is between 6 and 11 inches long and only weighs about 18 to 25 ounces. They also have very small teeth, so while they can bite it is very rare and painless. The Tulsa Zoo has several of these hedgehogs, but they never interact with each other. Education Specialist Emily Pritchett said, "They do not really tend to get along very well, so they are happier by themselves."

Q: Do four-toed hedgehogs play?

 Every day the zoo's four-toed hedgehogs get hallway time which is an enrichment activity for them. "Hallway time is a good way for them to get out and get some extra exercise and interact with things that are a little bit new and are not in their enclosure all the time," Pritchett said. The zookeepers will put out tubes, a wheel to run around in, and other objects for the hedgehogs to climb on and inside. Hallway time also allows for more space for the little critters to run around which increases their quality of life. "In the wild, these guys can run like a couple miles in a night," Pritchett said. "They basically just spend their whole night running around, looking for insects."

Q: What do the zoo's four-toed hedgehogs eat?

Four-toed hedgehogs are carnivorous animals, so the Tulsa Zoo feeds them a special insectivore pellet diet and adds in cut-up fruits and vegetables. They also eat live insects like crickets and mealworms every day.

Q: Why are the zoo's four-toed hedgehogs not on exhibit?

The Tulsa Zoo uses its four-toed hedgehogs as animal ambassadors because they are very friendly and comfortable with people. "Their job is to go out and visit people in a more face-to-face, hands-on type of setting," said Pritchett. When the hedgehogs are not working, they are kept in the zoo's education department.

The Tulsa Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hedgehogs can often be seen during the zoo's weekly story time every Wednesday at 10 a.m. For more information visit https://tulsazoo.org/.