Portrait of a Syrian hamster
The Syrian hamster is a cute little rodent that can become very docile, friendly and affectionate.
The Syrian hamster, also known as the golden hamster, is 5 to 7 inches long and weighs 4 to 8 ounces.
Native to Syria and Turkey, wild Syrian hamsters are golden brown in color and cream or white on the underside.
This color is found in many domestic hamsters today, as well as a wide variety of new colors and patterns, some of which are the result of careful cultivation.
Domestically raised Syrian hamsters may be pure white, black, or red with white patches, or shades of light blue and gray.
Breeders have tried to create hamsters with perfect panda markings, but producing white faces and pure black parts seems genetically tricky.
The long-haired Syrian hamster is of course bred very successfully and is known as the "teddy bear" hamster.
The symbol of the teddy bear hamster is the long fur skirt on either side of the small tail.
Male teddy bear hamsters tend to be furry more hairy than females.
Syrian hamsters in the wild live in arid areas, and they dig burrows deep underground.
Hamster caves can be 10 feet deep and have several rooms.
One room is a dedicated toilet area, and this natural trend makes pet hamsters one of the cleanest pet rodents.
Syrian hamster cages are relatively odorless because they choose a corner of the cage to defecate.
In addition, as desert dwellers, Syrian hamsters do not drink much water and therefore produce very little urine compared to some small animals from forest habitats, such as mice, rats and rabbits.
The ability to tame is another reason why golden hamsters have become such a common pet.
When they were first used for scientific research in the 1930s, lab staff quickly made them into pets, and their popularity grew.
Today, Syrian hamsters are endangered in their native habitat, with fewer than 5,000 Syrian hamsters believed to survive in the wild.
But it is estimated that the domestic population of the species is about 6 million and is kept as a pet worldwide.
Syrian hamsters are solitary animals and do not tolerate companionship.
Keepers will separate the cubs at a few weeks of age to prevent siblings from killing each other.
Occasionally two adult hamsters, usually related, will successfully cohabit, but in general, hamsters should be kept separately.
However, they do enjoy interacting with humans and become curious, friendly, affectionate pets.
Hamster owners spend millions of dollars a year buying delicate cages, toys and snacks for their little friends.
Ultimately, the only drawback of having a pet Syrian hamster is their relatively short lifespan of 2 to 3 years.
Hamster cheeks
There are about 19 different kinds of hamsters, of which the Syrian hamster is one of the largest.
All hamsters have specially designed "cheek bags" to store and carry food.
The cheek sac is a skin bag that extends from the mouth all the way to the side of the body to the buttocks.
Hamsters' cheeks can be filled with enough items to equal their own weight.
Not only do they hoard food such as seeds and fruits, but they also hoard bedding.
To empty their cheek pockets, hamsters push from the outside with their paws and from the inside with their tongues.
other
- The Syrian hamster is also known as the golden hamster
- The teddy bear hamster is a long-haired Syrian hamster
- They sleep during the day and wake up at night
- Hamster teeth never stop growing
- They have to nibble on something hard to grind their teeth out
- Hamsters can learn their names and be taught very simple tricks