Yes, a hedgehog can eat a banana! It is a popular choice of fruit to feed a hedgehog, but you will need to ensure that it is in moderation to ensure that your hedgehog stays healthy at all times.
As bananas can have high sugar content, too much can be bad for your hedgehog and leave them feeling unwell (just like too much sugar makes us humans feel a bit sick too).
Unripe bananas tend to have less sugar but can be harder for your hedgehog to eat. In these cases, it’s best to cut and mash the banana into small pieces.
Unripe bananas will be full of fiber, so ensure that it is only given in moderation to avoid causing any bowel problems for your hedgehog.
We would also avoid giving your hedgehog the brown parts of the banana. These overripe parts will contain high levels of sugar and are best avoided! Providing bananas is given in moderation; your hedgehog is unlikely to be unwell.
Can hedgehogs eat banana chips?
No, it’s best to avoid feeding your hedgehog banana chips. Banana chips can have a high fat and sugar content that can be bad for your hedgehog. In addition, there tend to be high amounts of sodium in banana chips, too, which can be bad for your hedgehogs.
While it can seem easier than chopping the banana and like a good idea, banana chips aren’t going to give hedgehogs the same nutrients that fresh bananas will and is best to be avoided.
The same applies to dried bananas too. It usually undergoes the same process as banana chips, losing many of its nutrients and being replaced with high sugar, fat, and sodium content.
As a result, they can leave your hedgehog with stomach problems, which over time can become long-term health complications that will impact a hedgehog’s quality of life as well as its length.
Do hedgehogs eat banana skins?
It’s best to avoid giving your hedgehog the banana skin or peel. To ensure the fruit grows correctly and isn’t stolen by animals or infested with insects, farmers tend to cover the skin of bananas with pesticides.
These pesticides are harmful not only to insects but to your hedgehog too! The last thing you want is for your hedgehog to be unwell! It’s unlikely that you will know what is in these pesticides or if they were even used, and we think it’s not worth the health risk.
Instead, remove the banana from its peel and cut it into very small pieces before serving it to your hedgehog. It’s also best to watch your hedgehog eating the banana, as it can dry quickly and get stuck to them if they haven’t eaten it, which can be painful for your hedgehog.
Place the banana peel in your compost or food waste bin as you normally would and ensure that your hedgehog can’t find it and start munching on it! It’s best to limit their access to food when you aren’t around to ensure they don’t choke or eat something they shouldn’t.
How many bananas can a hedgehog have?
Hedgehogs should only have bananas in small quantities. Instead of being a regular part of their diet, it should be considered a treat due to the high sugar content.
While humans can consume them daily and be fine with the sugar content, hedgehogs are much smaller and, as a result, need far less sugar.
One or two small pieces of banana twice a week are more than enough for your hedgehog, especially if they are slightly smaller. Remember to cut the banana into small pieces that will be easy for your hedgehog to eat and digest.
If the banana is still a little ripe (greenish color on the peel), you can mash the banana up to make it easier for your hedgehog to eat and digest.
As a general rule, we don’t give a hedgehog a banana that we wouldn’t eat ourselves. If it’s not ripe enough for you to enjoy, chances are your hedgehog won’t enjoy it either! The same applies to bananas that are overripe too.
So instead of feeding them to your hedgehog, why not turn them into banana bread or muffins? Just don’t let your hedgehog enjoy them either!
Remember to cut any brown parts of the banana off, too, as the sugar content will be higher here. These can be composted along with the peel or placed in your food waste bin.
Provided you do not exceed the amount of banana suggested here for your hedgehog, they are unlikely to be unwell and will enjoy their sweet banana treat!
