Hamsters are small rodents that are popular as family pets in many countries. They are of crepuscular nature, i.e. most active during twilight. Normally, they have a stout body with strong legs and wide feet. They have cheek pouches on either side of their heads falling to their shoulders, which they use to store and carry food. Their tails are shorter, and they generally have small pointy ears. Amongst all the species, the Dwarf desert hamster is the smallest, while the largest is the Common hamster, measuring up to 34 cm long. They are geographically scattered in various regions, and are quite common in China, Korea, Siberia, Mongolia, India and Syria. Read on to get some interesting facts and amazing information on hamsters.
Facts About Hamsters
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Myomorpha
Superfamily: Muroidea
Family: Cricitidae
Genera: Mesocricetus, Phodopus, Cricetus, Cricetulus, Allocricetulus, Cansumys and Tscherskia
Species: Cricetus cricetus,Mesocricetus auratus, Phodopus campbelli, Phodopus sungorus, Cricetulus griseus and Phodopus roborovskii
Natural Habitat: Mostly dry areas
Diet: Seeds, grasses, roots, fruits, vegetables, corn, pulses, insects, lizards, frogs and small mammals.
Teeth Color: Yellow or White
Gestation Period: 15-20 days
Life span: About 2 years
Interesting & Amazing information about Hamsters
- The native habitats of hamsters are the deserts of Asia.
- Hamsters borrow their name from the German word ‘Hamstern’, which means to hoard.
- Male hamsters are called ‘Bucks’ and females hamsters are called ‘Does’.
- Hamster burrows are up to 2 meters deep in the wilds.
- Hamster babies are known as puppies.
- The eyesight of hamsters reaches only up to six inches in front of them.
- Hamsters are color blind.
- Hamsters remember their relatives.
- Hamsters can be taught to react to names.
- Hamsters cannot be spayed or neutered.
- Hamsters are generally omnivorous.
- Hamsters are normally allergic to Cedar.
- The body fur of hamsters comes in a wide variety of colors, depending on the nature of the species.
- Regulation of temperature helps to determine the sex of dwarf hamster babies. Keeping the mother in warmer temperatures will lead to birth of more males, whereas keeping her in cooler temperatures will lead to the birth of more females.
- Normally, the breeding season of dwarf hamsters' is from April to September. However, if kept in lighting for eight hours or more a day, they will breed throughout the year.
- The Golden (Syrian) Hamsters Originated from the Middle Eastern Country Of Syria.
- The Djungarian Hamsters, also known as Cambells Dwarfs, are found on the steppes of Russia.
