References
UPDATES (April 10, 2012)
random ponderings about our life, our notion. truly uniquely unique.
Showing posts with label roborovski. Show all posts
Showing posts with label roborovski. Show all posts
Thursday, March 1, 2012
References (Part X)
References
UPDATES (April 10, 2012)
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Hamsters and humans (Part VIII)
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The main predators of grey hamsters are
mink and stoats. Other hamsters are killed by foxes, birds of prey, domestic
dogs and cats. Common hamsters have sometimes been trapped by man for their fur
and are considered to be a pest because they dig up root vegetables and eat
other crops. Dogs were used to hunt the
hamsters, following them by sight. The species is thought to be in no
danger of extinction, even though its numbers have been reduced over the years
through modern farming methods.(7)
Until 1930, it was assumed that the golden
hamster was extinct as a species. Then, in 1930, near the ancient town of
Aleppo in Syria, a Jewish archaeologist by the name of Aaron Abrahams, came
across a nest containing a small rodent with twelve
babies that he could not identify. He carefully placed the family into a container and had them taken to the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem. There they were identified as golden hamsters and, under laboratory conditions,
encouraged to
Breeding Considerations (Part VII)
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(NOTE: THIS BLOG AND ITS OWNER DO NOT ENCOURAGE IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNETHICAL
BREEDING OF HAMSTERS (AND PERHAPS ALL ANIMALS)
(by HH's Plushie) (22)
- PUPS are baby hamsters.
- A group of hamster pups is called a LITTER.
- WEANING is when baby animals are put onto solid food. You may see the mom refusing to feed her pups, this is normal during weaning and you need not intervene.
- GESTATION is how long the mother is pregnant: from the time the egg(s) are fertilized to the time of the birth. (For example, in humans this is normally 9 months.)
- CULLING is another term for when a mother animal kills her offspring. In the case of hamsters, this is often due to mom feeling threatened and/or thinking that she cannot raise the pups (e.g. in a large litter she may cull some so the litter is easier to manage). Often, if a hamster culls her pup she will also eat it.
The sex of adult hamsters is easy to determine. Males have very large, prominent testicles. In fact, owners unaccustomed to seeing them are often astonished at these anatomic peculiarities. (1)
Sexual identification in hamsters is
similar to other rodents, the anogenital distance in the male is greater than
in the female.(13)
In adult hamsters, the male has a
pronounced posterior bulge due to the testes in the scrotum. The adult female
has a more blunt posterior.(13)
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| What you'll need for breeding (4) |
The image above shows the regular four day
estrous cycle of female hamsters. The rising and falling curve above
the baseline on the graph indicates the
period of receptivity to the male, or behavioral estrus. The blue column in day
2 marks the occurrence of a white, stringy, odorous
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Hamster Health Check (Part VI)
With
proper care and
diet, hamsters tend
to be healthy
animals. The most
common health problem is
called “wet tail” and
appears as foul
smelling diarrhea. It
is usually related to the stress of moving to a new home
or a sudden change in diet. Preventative
medication is available and can also be used to treat it should it
occur. It is best to pick up a small
amount of food the hamster has been used to and mix it with any new food
being introduced. Do not offer your
hamster fresh veggies or fruit for about a week and then do so gradually and in
small amounts. (6)
Adult body weight:
95 - 150g (female); 85 - 130g (male)
Life span: 1.5 - 2
years
Respiratory rate: 35
- 135 breaths/minute
Heart rate: 250 -
500 beats/minute
Normal average
rectal temperature: 102ºF
RBC 7,500,000/mm
WBC 7,600/mm
Segmented Neutrophils 21.9%
Non-segmented Neutrophils 8.0%
Lymphocytes 73.5%
Monocytes 2.5%
Eosinophils 1.1%
Basophils 1.1%
Get into the habit of examining your pet
carefully every week. It’s a good idea
to weigh him too. Make this a regular thing and you’ll bond better with
your pets. And you’ll catch any problems
early – your Syrian hamster is nocturnal, so health issues might not be
so easy to spot. (3)
Check that your Syrian hamster’s behaviour
is normal – active and playful in the
evening. Gauge how they walk, looking for limping, or signs of
pain. A sick pet will be irritable and
may bite more frequently. (3)
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| Hamster Skeleton (25) |
The nose should be clean and dry – sneezing
and runny nose are signs of cold or fl u.
Check to ensure that your
pet’s teeth haven’t grown too long. See
whether they’re misaligned or
Food and Water (Part V)
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Food and Water
Good-quality food and fresh, clean water must be readily available at all times. The exact nutritional requirements of the hamster are not known. In the wild, they are omnivorous, feeding on plants, seeds, fruits and insects. Pet hamsters are best fed commercial rat or mouse diets containing at least 16% crude protein. These foods are usually available as dry blocks or pellets. These commercial diets can be supplemented with small amounts of dry, sugar-free breakfast cereals, whole-wheat bread, uncooked pasta, cooked chicken, tuna fish, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables. The last 2 items must be thoroughly washed to avoid exposing pet hamsters to pesticide residues and possible bacterial contamination. (1)
Pet stores sell prepared hamster diets
available in boxes or bags. These diets
contain
large quantities of seeds and items rich in
oils. Consequently, if improperly
stored, they become rancid and lose their nutritive value. Furthermore, these oil-rich items promote
obesity. These types of foods can be
offered as a supplement to the commercial rat or mouse diets mentioned above. (1)
All food should be provided in heavy
ceramic crocks that resist tipping. The
sides of the crocks should be high enough to keep bedding and fecal material
out of the food, or the crocks should be elevated slightly above the bedding. (1)
Water is most easily made available and
kept free from contamination by providing it in one or more water bottles
equipped with ‘sipper’ tubes. Make
certain the ends of the tubes are positioned low enough to allow all residents
within the enclosure (especially juvenile hamsters over 1 week old) easy access
to them. Also make certain that very
young hamsters are strong enough to obtain water from these sipper tubes. (1)
Average food consumption is 10 to 15 g of
commercial pelleted rodent food per day for adult hamsters. Hamsters drink
approximately 5 ml of water per 100 g of body weight per day. This rate of
water consumption is similar to the gerbil, another rodent species indigenous
to the desert. In comparison, rats drink 10 ml of water per 100 g of body
weight each day.(14)
A unique feature of Syrian hamsters is the
well- developed pair of buccal or cheek pouches beneath the skin on the lateral
sides of the head. In the picture,
the cheek pouch has been reverted for
examination. (2)
The pouches are used to carry food and
nesting material. They also provide an easily accessible site for tumor
transplantation and induction. The cheek pouches have
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Hamster Accessories and Toys (Part IV)
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Hamsters need a water bottle, a dry food
dispenser and a dish for treats. For
their bed choose from plastic,
wood, or grass houses and/or a hammock or sleeping bag. They need an exercise wheel, and also enjoy
tubes, climbing toys such as ladders, ropes, and branches, and chew toys. (6)
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The exercise wheel is not a luxury item but
a NECCESITY for the hamster. Hamsters are naturally active and a lack of
exercise might result in paralysis, where an afflicted hamster will spend most
of its time hunched over, often unable to raise its head. (16)
There are many kinds of exercise wheels
available in the market today. Metal/wire wheels provide a strong base but rust
easily if the hamster chews on them. They are prone to squeaking when a hamster
runs on them but this can be easily remedied by rubbing some Vaseline or
vegetable oil on the joints of the wheel. Similarly, a plastic wheel can be
easily chewed away. Wheels with bars should be avoided as a hamster's feet
might get caught in them. Opt for a gnaw-proof plastic base wheel instead.
Electronic wheels that record the distance your hamster runs daily should be
avoided if your hamster have a tendency to urinate on the wheel. (16)
The exercise ball allows your hamster to
run all over your room without you having to worry that it might get lost or be
attacked by other animals. It is also ideal when you wash the cage, for putting
the hamster in the ball makes its wait more fun and bearable. (16)
To avoid exhaustion and dehydration, you
should not put your pet in the ball for more than 20 minutes. Urine and
droppings can penetrate the holes in the ball designed for air circulation, so
you should supervise the area that your hamster runs on. In addition, make sure
that the hamster does not roll the ball near stairways, deep holes, and other
dangerous obstacles in the house. (16)
For added value, get an exercise ball that
can be used both inside and outside the cage. (comes with a stand) (16)
Gnawing toys satisfies your hamster need to
gnaw and your pet will be less inclined to gnaw on other objects in the cage
such as the water bottle or its toys. As a hamster's incisors are always
growing, gnawing helps to keep their teeth trim and sharp. There are many kinds
of
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