 |
| Is a hamster a right companion for you? (A checklist) (9) |
Hamsters may be friendly pets when handled
regularly, but some individuals fail to tame well and are prone to biting,
especially when first awakened. Golden hamsters tend to be less aggressive than
Siberian dwarf hamsters and therefore are probably better pets. With good care,
a hamster may live two to five years. (5)
4 to 5 inches long (9)
Dry places, on steppes, sand dunes, borders
of deserts. Common hamster also found on agricultural land and river banks.(7)
Common hamster: Belgium to Lake Baikal in
Siberia
Grey hamster: Greece and Bulgaria to
borders of Outer Mongolia
Dwarf hamster: Siberia, Manchuria and
northern China.
Golden hamster: not found in the wild since
1930 but originally ranged from Rumania and Bulgaria through the Caucasus and
Asia Minor to
Iran.(7)
Common hamster: guinea-pig size,
reddish-brown above, black below, white bands on shoulders; very short tail.
Golden hamster: light reddish-brown above,
white underneath. The seven species of grey hamster have mousey or reddish
coloured fur and longer tails.
The dwarf hamster is the smallest, with
greyish or buff upperparts, white
underparts and a short tail. The golden hamster is the most well-known hamster,
having been kept as a popular pet for many years. However, there are about 14
species of hamster, ranging from the guinea-pig sized common hamster to the
tiny dwarf hamster, 5 - 10cm in length. They are short-tailed
rodents, similar in many ways to gerbils
and voles.(7)
 |
| Hamster Breeds: Syrian, Campbell, Winter White, Roborovski and Chinese |
Syrian hamsters,
also known as Goldens or Teddy Bear hamsters, are the most popular hamsters
kept as pets. They are very easy to handle and make wonderful pets for
children. They are not social with other hamsters however, and should be kept
alone after 10 weeks of age. If caged together, Syrian hamsters can actually
fight until they kill each other. Syrian hamsters are nocturnal, and are rarely
active during the day. (19)
Syrian hamsters come
in a variety of colors, and they are one of the largest hamsters at a length of
4" - 7" when full grown, depending on the sex. Females can grow
larger than the males, which reach only about 6" long. They have a very short
tail, large cheek pouches, and small eyes. The average life span of a Syrian
hamster is approximately 2 to 2-1/2 years, though they have been known to live
as long as 4 years.
Dwarf Campbell
Russian hamsters are more social than Syrian hamsters, and they can be kept in
same sex pairs or groups of their breed as long as they are introduced at a
young age. They aren't quite as responsive to handling as Syrians and may nip
if they feel nervous or threatened. They still make good pets; they just
require supervision of both child and pet during interactions. Though they are
nocturnal, they are often awake for short periods during the day.(19)
Dwarf Campbell
Russians are very small, reaching a maximum size of only 4" as adults. The
natural coat color is grayish brown fur on the back with a darker strip of
color down the spine, a creamier color on the sides, and a white stomach. Dwarf
Campbell Russians can be found in a variety of colors however, due to selective
breeding. The average life span of a Dwarf Campbell Russian is about 2 years.(19)
Dwarf Winter White
Russian hamsters are similar in behavior to Dwarf Campbell Russians in that
they are active during the day and can be kept in same sex pairs or groups.
However, they do not have the reputation for biting when nervous, and they are
generally very sweet and personable. They are very small and quick though, so
they can be a challenge for young children to handle safely.(19)
Dwarf Winter White
Russians come in three colors: Sapphire, Pearl, and a combination of the two
called Sapphire-Pearl. Pearl is a white pattern where white hairs are sprinkled
throughout the coat, and Sapphire is a purple-gray color. Sapphire Winter White
Russians have a gray undercoat, a thick gray stripe along their spines, and an
ivory colored stomach.(19)
Dwarf Winter White
Russians are very small and compact, measuring only 3-1/2" to 4" as
full grown adults. Because they are so tiny, an aquarium is generally a safer
housing choice than a wire cage. The average life span of a Dwarf Winter White Russian
hamster is about 2 years.(19)
Roborovski Dwarfs
are another social breed of hamster, and they do well in small same sex pairs
or groups if they are introduced at a young age. They are sweet hamsters that
do not usually nip. Though they have good temperaments, they are generally
better for observation than for handling because of their size and agility.
They should only be handled where they will be easy to catch if they jump down
from your hands. They are nocturnal.(19)
Roborovski hamsters
are sandy brown with a white stomach, white marks over their eyes, and
occasionally a white face. They are the smallest of the most popular hamster
breeds, reaching an adult size of only 1-1/2" to 2". The average life
span of a Roborovski is longer than any of the other common hamster breeds at 3
to 3-1/2 years.(19)
Chinese hamsters,
also known as Striped hamsters or Chinese Striped hamsters, are not generally
social hamsters, but there have been some owners who have been able to
successfully house them together. However, it's best to be safe and house them
individually. Though they can be aggressive towards each other, they are
good-natured towards people and slightly timid, and they rarely bite. They are
active during short periods throughout the day, but their most active period is
at night.(19)
Chinese hamsters are
often mistakenly referred to as dwarf hamsters. Though at about 4" full
grown they are similar in size to other dwarf hamsters, they are actually not
true dwarfs. Chinese hamsters have a body type that is similar to a rat or mouse
- long and slender. There are two colors of Chinese hamsters. The first, and
most common, is an agouti coat with a dark brown back, a black line of fur
along the spine, and an ivory colored stomach. The other color is called a
"dominant spot," and it is a white coat with spots of color. The
average life span of Chinese hamsters is about 1-1/2 to 2 years.(19)
 |
| Hamsters can really burrow. (14) |
Most hamsters live in dry places such as
the edges of deserts, but the common hamster lives among crops, in ploughed
fields and along river banks, often swimming. When they are not busy searching
for food, hamsters are in their underground burrows.(7)
The common and grey hamsters have short
shallow burrows for use during the summer and deeper ones for the winter. Each
burrow is long and branching with several entrances and a number of
compartments for nesting, storing food and for 'toilets' - hamsters being very
clean animals. Dwarf hamsters live alongside pikas (small relatives of rabbits
and hares), and use their burrows and paths.(7)
Common and golden hamsters are mostly
nocturnal; grey hamsters may be seen by day and night during the spring and
summer, but are completely nocturnal in the winter.(7)
MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HAMSTERS
MYTHS ABOUT THEIR BEHAVIOR
^BACK TO THE TOP^
(by HH's Member Christmas_hamster) (22)
Myth: Syrian hamsters can learn to live
together.
-or-
‘My Syrians haven’t fought yet so that means
they can live together’.(22)
Truth: In the wild syrian hamsters only
come together to mate when the female is in heat. The female then raises her
young but boots them out of her nest as soon as they are capable of living on
their own. These young hamsters go off and find their own territory and the
cycle repeats itself. Syrians do not live together in the wild so why would
they live together in captivity? They are solitary by nature and do not take
well to having cage mates. Just because two Syrian hamsters have not fought yet
does not mean that they will not fight at some point.(22)
These fights can
lead to injuries, expensive vet bills, stressed hamsters or even death. There
is no reason to tempt fate and try to go against nature other than for selfish
desires of wanting to keep them together. While they may be upset or confused
after being separated, within a day they will be back to their normal selves
without a thought about their old cage mate. In fact you may even see them come
out of their shell now that they are no longer forced to live in an unnatural
social environment.(22)
Sometimes you hear
about a pair of Syrian hamsters that just don’t fight. This does not mean that
they are thriving in this situation though. The stress of living together can
lower their immune systems, a lot of times you hear about Syrian hamsters living
together only to die at a young age or from some sort of illness. This is
because when under this constant stress a hamster’s immune system is lowered,
thus making them susceptible to other illnesses.(22)
Myth: Dwarf Hamsters should never be
housed together.
Truth: While dwarf hamsters are not
social-dependent animals such as rats or humans, where they become stressed and
develop certain stereotypes when housed alone, dwarf hamsters can live with
others of their own species. In the wild dwarfs live in small groups or
colonies, while those that have their own burrows will often keep their burrows
close together for breeding purposes. This means that unlike the Syrian
hamster, dwarfs can be kept together. It is highly recommended that pairs or
groups be of the same sex so as not to bring on a population explosion.(22)
Now just because
they can live together, does not mean that they will not fight. However there
are ways to eliminate the chances of fighting. In order to do this you must
look at their environment or in this case - their cage. With pairs or groups
you will need to consider things such as cage size, amount of supplies and toys
per hamster, among other things with the physical aspect of their cage. The
other factor that comes into play when housing multiple hamsters is the
individual hamster. Not every hamster will be suited to social life and
sometimes a certain pair just cannot get along, much like how you can’t like
every person you come across. So while dwarfs may have small arguments or
dominance behaviours this does not mean that they need to be separated, even
humans disagree from time to time. The rule is usually no blood, no foul. This
also applies to Chinese hamsters, though it seems that the incidence of Chinese
hamsters needing to be separated may be higher than that of dwarf hamsters.(22)
Myth: Chinese hamsters are a type of a
dwarf hamster.(22)
Truth: Let’s make this a mini science
lesson. Every living organism is organized using a classification system. The
basic structure of this classification system includes the: kingdom, then
phylum, then class, then order, then family, then genus and then species. So
when looking at hamsters using this classification system it looks like this:(22)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Now before we move
on keep in mind that there are many different kinds of hamsters. As we look
further using this classification system, you will be able to see just how the
different species of hamsters are broken up by genus and then species. There
are about seven different genera (plural for genus) that make up this family
and they include the following:
Genus: Cricetulus/ Phodopus/ Calomyscus/
Cricetus/ Mesocricetus/ Tscherskia/ Mystromys/ Calomyscus(22)
From there you have
the different species. For example looking at the dwarf hamster genus,
Phodopus, we can then look at the three species of this group:
Species: campbelli/ sungorus/ roborovskii
(Russian Campbell/
Winter White/ Roborovski)(22)
There are only three
species of hamsters that fall under the genus Phodopus, meaning that there are
only three kinds of dwarf hamsters. Chinese hamsters are not part of this genus
however. If we go back and look at the genus, Cricetulus, then we can find
today’s domestic Chinese hamster with the species name being:
Species: griseus
So all together
using this classification system, Chinese hamsters are:
Animalia>
Chordata> Mammalia> Rodentia> Cricetidae> Cricetulus> griseus
The reason that
Chinese hamsters are often grouped with dwarf hamsters is due to their small
size and the dorsal stripe that runs down the centre of their back which are
characteristics of some of the dwarf hamsters (roborovski dwarfs do not have
any dorsal stripes). So while they are closely related they are not a ‘dwarf’
species.(22)
Myth: There are more than five domestic
species of hamsters.
-or-
‘I have created/bought the newest species of
hamster.... the black bear hamster!’
Truth: There are many different nicknames
for hamsters these days. Pet stores and some breeders have been seen claiming
that they have certain hamsters that are new, rare or better than your average
hamster. For example some common names include ‘black bear’, ‘teddy bear’,
‘blueberry’, ‘panda bear’ and there are so many more. However there are only
five species of domestic hamsters. They are the Syrian, Winter White Dwarf,
Russian Campbell Dwarf, Roborovski Dwarf and Chinese hamsters. Nicknames are
made up for hamsters usually to make a certain colour or fur type seem rarer
then another hamster of the same species. If it is rare then they feel that
they can justify raising the price. These are just nicknames though and do not
in any way make the hamsters any better then another of its species.(22)
Myth: Dwarf hamsters are evil [monsters].
-or-
Dwarfs enjoy nothing
more than to bite a human.(22)
Truth: Despite popular belief, dwarf
hamsters are not the “devil’s creation”. Hamsters in general have a bad
reputation for biting, but dwarf hamsters have it the worst. I cannot even
count the times I have read this online, heard it from others or have been
lectured by pet store employees about the evil dwarf hamster. Dwarfs have this
reputation due to some misunderstandings.
The first thing is,
hamsters have really terrible eyesight. However they are not helpless due to
this, and have learned how to compensate for their less-than-ideal eyesight.
Dwarf hamsters often use their teeth to explore something new in order to
figure out what it is. This includes your hand, though keep in mind that
nibbles do not usually hurt nor do they draw blood. Also because of their poor
eyesight hamsters can easily mistake a finger for an enemy (especially if you
wake them up, or pick them up with out warning!) or even as a piece of food.
It’s important to always let your hamster know that you are there and to wash
your hands before handling your hamster so that your hands do not smell like a
tasty treat.
The second thing
that must be considered is that dwarf hamsters are often found to be cage
territorial. This is usually only seen in hamsters that are kept in small
cages, although hamsters can carry this habit even if their cage is upgraded.
This just means that the hamster is feeling territorial over their home.
Sometimes this can be worked out but for the most part, their space must be
respected. When a hamster is cage territorial this does not mean that they will
not be willing to be handled outside of their cage. Using a tube or a cup of
some sort for the hamster to climb into while in their cage is a great way to
respect their space yet still get them out.(22)
Myth: Roborovski dwarf hamsters cannot
bite because their mouths are too small.(22)
Truth: Any animal can bite and the
Roborovski dwarf is no exception. They have four sharp incisor teeth that are
quite capable of drawing blood and pain despite their small size. Don’t be
fooled by their small stature. If they feel the need to defend themselves then
they most certainly can.(22)
Myth: All hamsters are
nocturnal/crepuscular.(22)
Truth: In the wild it is found that
Syrians and Roborovski dwarf hamsters are in fact nocturnal. Russian Campbell
dwarfs are said to be either nocturnal or crepuscular (that is awake at dawn
and duck). The other species (Winter White dwarfs and Chinese hamsters) are not
quite specified as to when they are most active, though it is obvious that it
not only depends upon the species, but upon the location of said animal as to
whether they are nocturnal or crepuscular. In the wild they stay in their
burrows during the day and at night not only to avoid predators but to avoid
the extreme temperatures that befall the desert-like Mideast and Asia habitats
that hamsters originate from. It has been recently said that all hamsters are
crepuscular, meanwhile before it was that all hamsters are nocturnal, however
this is not found to be true in the wild for several species.In domestic
settings a hamster being nocturnal vs. crepuscular is going to depend not only
upon its species, but also it's environment. Variations in factors such as
temperature, seasons, location in the world, light in the room, etc. are going
to change a hamsters schedule. So while Syrian hamsters where I live may be
seen to be nocturnal, other Syrians in a different part of the world may be crepuscular.(22)
Although it should
be mentioned that some hamsters do (particularly Syrian hamsters) seem to
follow a nocturnal routine. It should also be noted that with the use of
artificial light in the home, hamsters may have a differing schedule from their
ancestors or from those that have more natural light than artificial. (22)
OTHER
Myth: Hamsters make great pets for
children.
-or-
Hamsters are cheap
pets. .(22)
Truth: Hamsters are commonly thought of as
a great pet for young children or a great cheap pet. This is not the case
though. First of all children typically have an early bed time, meanwhile
hamsters are often not up and about until well into the night as they're
crepuscular/nocturnal by nature. It is not until the child or teenager can stay
up late that they may be able to handle such a schedule. Otherwise they will
not see their pet very often, leading them to disturb the hamster during the
day or to grow bored of it. Generally hamsters don't like to sit still for
cuddles and can be difficult for young children to handle. Many hamsters have
been inadvertently squished or harmed in the hands of a young child who did not
understand or were incapable of understanding how to handle such a delicate
animal. Every child is different and some may be ready for a pet sooner than
others, but a child should be mature enough to appreciate and respect the needs
of their pets. Under no circumstances should a child be given the sole
responsibility of their pet, an adult should be supervising the child's
interactions with the hamster at all times and the responsibility should
ultimately fall upon an adult.(22)
Also bear in mind
that a hamster's cage should be be kept in the child's bedroom. At night the
hamster's activities will disturb the child's sleep and during the day the
child may disturb the hamster's sleep. If the hamster cage must be placed in
the child's room, make sure that the cage is not placed directly next to the
child's bed and that the child does not make too much noise during the day such
as listening to overly loud music. It is probably best to also invest in a
good, silent wheel. As for the type of a cage a bin cage or aquarium is
probably the best option so that the hamster cannot chew on the bars of a wire
cage during the night. (22)
It is also important
to remember that while hamsters are not the most expensive pets available they
are not exactly cheap either. Hamsters have their own specialized needs such as
needing a large space, their nocturnal/crepuscular schedule, special dietary
needs for diabetes-prone dwarfs, etc. They may also need to a vet at some point
in their life which can be quite expensive depending on your location.(22)
Myth: Hamsters smell.
Truth: Any animal, even humans, will smell
badly if their home isn't kept clean. Hamsters typically are not smelly
animals, in fact they are quite clean and often groom themselves more often
than a cat does. They are also tidy, in the wild they have separate parts of
their burrows to use as a washroom which they either empty out or bury. In a
cage hamsters don't have a chance to do this, so it is up to the owner to clean
the cage. If the cage smells than it is in need of cleaning. The cage may also
not be well ventilated in which case, modifications or a cage change may need
to be in order.(22)
Female hamster may
emit a strong, musky smell when they are in heat. Not all females smell
strongly when in heat and not everyone can detect this smell. Some male
hamsters will also have a stronger, pungent and musky scent than others and
this should not be mistaken for an issue. It isn't exactly a bad smell, just
different. Both of these odours for either sex are used to attract mates and
otherwise warn other animals and hamsters of their presence.(22)
Myth: Hamsters do not require a vet?(22)
Truth: While hamsters do not require
vaccinations and neutering isn't often performed on such a small animal,
hamsters do occasionally need a vet. Hamsters can become ill just like any
other kind of animal. When they do become ill they can go downhill quite
quickly so it is important not to dawdle and play the waiting game. Hamsters
are also good at hiding any health problems, as prey animals they need to be
good at hiding it so that they don't seem like an easy target. Watching your
hamster daily for changes in behaviour, appetite, or anything out of the
ordinary can help you detect if something is wrong.(22)
It is essential to
understand that hamsters should not be treated as disposable pets. The ideology
that they are not worth paying vet bills for is outdated and wrong. Whether you
can get another hamster for $10 is not important when it comes to being a responsible
pet owner for the living being that depends completely on you.(22)
^BACK TO THE TOP^
No comments:
Post a Comment
speak up!
what do think about this?