Hamsters are categorized as popular small house pets. They are rodents that belong to the subfamily cricetinae that contains about 25 species. They have thick, silky fur that can be long or short. They have many colors according to the species. Their colors are black, grey, honey, white, brown, yellow, red or a mix. Its tall is very short, except for the Chinese hamster, as it has a tail the same length as the body. All hamsters are excellent diggers. They use their snouts and their teeth for digging. There are top 10 interesting facts about hamsters
1- There are five hamsters that are kept as pets
Hamsters are considered suitable pets for children who want to play them during the day. But the young children who lack the motor control may scare the hamsters. The hamsters need a gentle treatment, and may be startled by the loud noises. So, the adults should supervise the children under 8 years old who like to play with the hamsters. There are five species that can be kept as pets. They are Roborovski, Syrian, Campbell’s Dwarf, Chinese, and Winter White Russian Dwarf hamsters.
2-Hamsters are considered crepuscular creatures
Hamsters aren’t powerful creatures during the daytime like humans. They aren’t also considered nocturnal creatures like owes, but they are considered crepuscular creatures. They are like the other mammals. They are more likely to be active at dawn or dusk. This means that they aren’t active during the twilight hours. They aren’t the liveliest creatures during the day. Individual hamsters aren’t all awake and playful at the same time. It seems that hamsters were originally crepuscular. They didn’t want to be grabbed for dinner, so use they used their own living pattern that helped them to survive. Hamsters would leave their homes at the dawn to get the food they needed. Their living pattern is considered a part of every hamster’s nature.
3- Hamsters stores food in their cheeks, then eat it later
The hamsters can store their food in their check pouches. This method of food-collecting gives the hamsters a kind of protection. They can collect their food inside their check pouches until they found a safe place. The female hamsters are known for carrying their young in their check to carry them to a safe place. Hamsters fill their pouches with the air to help them float while swimming.
4- The largest type of hamster can grow to 13 inches long
The European Hamster is considered the largest of the hamster species. It is considered a farmland pest. It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild, so it is considered an endangered species. It was categorized by the International Union for conversation of Nature. Its height is about 13 inches long. It exists in the kingdom of Animalia. This animal has been trapped for its fur. It is length is about 13 inches.
5- The smallest type of hamster is about 2 to 4 inches long
Roborovski Dwarf hamster is considered the smallest type of hamsters. It is also known as the desert hamster. It is distinguished by the eyebrow-like white spots. Its lifespan is about three years. It is known for its speed. It can run as four human marathons every night. Its length is about 2 centimeters to 4 centimeters. It weighs about 20-25 grams. It is considered a timid or shy pet. Roborovski hamsters are good pets for the people who enjoy the interactive play, and they are great climbers like other hamsters. They are also more sociable than the other hamsters.
6- Hamsters aren’t considered vegetarian creatures
Hamsters aren’t considered vegetarian creatures as many people thought. They are considered omnivores creatures, as they hunt and eat insects, besides eating plants. Wild hamsters eat seeds, grain, grasses and some insects, so they are like the humans. Hamsters love fruit and vegetables, but you should be careful about the amount you are giving to them. Eating many fruits and vegetables may cause diarrhea to hamsters. Hamsters love carrots, but they shouldn’t eat many carrots, as they are high in sugar.They also like chicory, cauliflower, broccoli, pear, peach, and banana.
7- Hamster’ front teeth never stop growing
Hamsters like to chew the objects around them so much. Their front teeth never stop growing, and they begin to curve and stick out between the lips. These front teeth need to be trimmed. If we have trimmed correctly, it wouldn’t be painful. The Dremel tool isn’t safe to use because hamster mouths are so small.
8-Hamsters lifespan is up to 4 years
The hamster lifespan average is about 2 to 4 years. There are many factors that may affect hamster lifespan. These factors are the diet, genetics, exercise, illness, living environment, species and quality of care. You can choose the species of hamster you keep. But, you can’t change their species to live longer. Some hamsters have the inherited genes from their parents that made them live longer life. While the others have the inherited genes from their parents that made them live a shorter life. You can make your hamster live a longer life through eating the healthy food, and you should take it to your vet to be examined if it has any healthy problem.
9-Hamsters are blind creatures
Baby hamsters are born blind, deaf and naked. The female hamster has the mothering nature, so she will gather her new Youngers and bring them to the nest. After five days of their birth, they will have a light covering of fur. However they are still blind, they would explore the cage from the time they are seven days old. You should put some food in the cage to help the young hamsters to pick it up and eat it. Besides that, their mother will feed them also.
10-female hamsters can have up to 24 babies at the same time
Hamsters are breeding in the spring and summer, and they produce many litters every year. The female hamsters have up to 24 babies at a time. The gestation period for hamsters varies according to its species. The gestation period for a Syrian hamster is 16 days, while it is 18-21 days for dwarf and Chinese hamsters. You should make a note of the mating period for hamsters to help you to know when babies will be born. You should take care of your pregnant hamster to keep it healthy. You should give it a diet that is high in protein, and keep your hamster cage clean before the expected time of birth.
There are many methods to care for the newborn hamsters. You must make sure that their mother is caring for them properly. If your female hamster is pregnant, you should prepare the cage for birth. It should be cleaned to prepare it before birth. You should also remove the toys from the cage to avoid hurting the babies in the cage. You should also make sure that the nest has been built. After the babies are born, you should refill the water bottles and food dishes for a week, but you shouldn’t disturb the mother and her mother.
Interesting read, but why is a picture of a hamster in a wheel that is much too small for him shown, without telling the fact that they need much bigger wheels than most people think? The same goes for cages.