Can Hedgehogs Be Kept As Pets In The US?

Beyond the prickly exterior, hedgehogs can make fascinating pets. They may not be very active but certainly are quite interesting in many ways. However, It is not legal to keep a hedgehog as a pet in some US states. Some states may allow a certain variety of hedgehogs to be kept as pets such as African Pigmy Hedgehogs while other hedgehogs may not be allowed.

Hence residents of the US should check with animal control before they decide on having a hedgehog in the household as a pet. Moreover specific care should be taken if one is domesticating hedgehogs such as big enclosures with temperature above 70'C which will not allow them to hibernate in summer, and proper nutrition which will keep them from becoming obese.

Following are some states where hedgehogs cannot be domesticated in USA. However, this list may change over time and hence it should be verified with animal control.
California, Georgia, Hawaii, New York City, New York, Fairfax County, Virginia, Douglas County, and Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

My son has had a hedgehog for 8 yrs; bought him in Ohio ,sorta weird pet.