Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Hamster - Djungarian, Syrian, Roborowski, and even the panda hamster. Regardless of which breed of hamster you choose, it will be a source of joy for household members, especially children. It is the hamster that is most often the first animal that the youngest get into their care. How long does a hamster live? How to care for a hamster? How to deal with it? What can a hamster eat?

The hamster ( cricetinae )is a rodent with characteristic large cheek bags in which it collects and transports food supplies to the burrow.

The Dzungarian, Syrian and Roborowski hamsters are the most common in Polish pet stores, although the panda is also becoming more and more popular. In turn, the European hamster is a wild hamster that lives mainly in farmland.

See the gallery of 8 photos

Hamster - Djungarian, Syrian and more

They include about 300 species. Among them, there are also breeding varieties that are often treated as pets.

1.European hamster- is the largest representative of the hamster family. Its length is 20-34 cm, and weight - 400-700 g. So it is similar in size to a guinea pig. The top of his body is usually dark brown and his belly is black. There may be white spots around the face, neck and feet.

European hamsters are found between Europe and Asia. In Poland, the European hamster lives mainly in cultivated fields (less often in meadows and wastelands). The largest population of hamsters is located in the south-eastern regions of our country. This is the result of the natural conditions favorable to these animals (soil, plants and the place where they breed).

European hamsters are considered large pests in agriculture because farmlands are one of their food sources.

2. Dwarf hamsters - are a group of the 3 smallest species of hamsters in the world:

  • Djungarian hamster- lives in the wild in the steppes and tundra of Western Siberia and Kazakhstan. It is also classified as breeding and companion animals. The torso and head reach 7-9 cm, and the average body weight is 19-45 g. The fur of the Dzungarian hamster is dark in shades of gray or dark brown.with black ears and rasp running along the back and a whitish belly. Coloration under natural conditions changes with the seasons (they become whiter)

-panda hamster- is often mistakenly thought of as a separate breed of hamster. However, it is a variation of the Dzungarian hamster with a characteristic color resembling black and white panda spots.

  • Roborowski's hamster- is the smallest representative of the hamster subfamily. An adult specimen is 4.5-5 cm long and weighs 20-25 g. Its fur is sand-colored. The natural habitat of the Roborowski hamster are sandy deserts and semi-deserts of Central Asia. It is also a breeding species
  • Campbell's hamster - (Manchurian hamster or zabajkalski hamster) was previously classified as a subspecies of the Dzungarian hamster. It lives in steppes and semi-arid areas. Its sandy shade of fur blends with its surroundings. The Manchurian hamster also has a black stripe running along its back

3.The Syrian hamsternaturally occurs in Asia Minor and lives in desert and semi-arid areas and grain fields. In 1938, Syrian hamsters entered the United States as lab animals.

It is important to know that Syrian hamsters are used in research laboratories to develop drugs for people addicted to alcohol, because they are 40 times more tolerant to alcohol than humans (based on body weight).

Rodents easily multiply and tame, thanks to which they quickly became farm animals. The body length of the Syrian hamster ranges from 15 to 18 cm, and the weight is from 100 to 170 g. In the natural environment, the color of Syrian hamsters is usually in shades of gold and brown.

However, as a result of mutation and breeding selection, Syrian hamsters come in almost countless colors. The most common are golden (Golden), cream (Cream), black (Black), cinnamon (Cinnamon), ash and silver gray (Sliver gray).

  • Guinea pig (home coffee) - nutrition and care. How long does a guinea pig live?
  • Koszatniczka - nutrition, price. How long does the degus live?
  • Gerbils - domestic rodent. How much does it cost? How long does he live?
  • House mouse: what does it eat, how long it lives and how to care for it?

Hamster - does it transmit diseases?

You can catch many diseases from a hamster. Hamsters can harbor internal parasites such as tapeworms and nematodes, and external parasites such as fleas.

Hamsters can also spread:

  • rabies,
  • listeriosis,
  • salmonellosis,
  • leptospirozy,
  • Escherichia coli bacteria,
  • riketsjozy.

Hamsters can also be asymptomatic carriers of Campylobacter bacteria, which can cause diarrhea in humans. The bacteria are excreted in the animal's faeces.

To reduce the risk of infection, it is important to care for rodents, and to take precautions and good hygiene when handling hamsters. First of all, keep the hamster's surroundings clean and wash your hands thoroughly before and after each contact with the animal.

  • Brucellosis - an animal-borne disease
  • Cat scratch disease after scratching or biting a cat
  • Leptospirosis - zoonotic disease caused by water pollution
  • Spotted typhus (typhoid fever, typhoid fever) - a disease transmitted by lice and fleas
Worth knowing

Hamster - hamster allergy

Hamster allergymay be manifested by:

  • runny nose,
  • sneezing,
  • cough,
  • rash,
  • itchy skin,
  • and even difficulty breathing.

With such symptoms, you should see an allergist for appropriate tests. To avoid unwanted allergic ailments, such tests can be done before purchasing a hamster.

Hamster - how to care for a hamster?

In order to provide the hamster with favorable living conditions, the cage or the aquarium should be set up in a suitable place (not in direct sunlight) and properly equipped.

The most important element is, above all, the ground.sawdust liningworks best, especially pine wood, as it is the most absorbent and completely non-toxic for rodents.

The hamster is not a toy, but a creature that can be hurt very easily. He should be ensured safety and full control over the child who is caring for him.

Hamsters have a very developed sense of smell - thus they are sensitive to all kinds of smells. Therefore, the substrate in the cage should be changed at leastonce a week , and even more often if necessary. Thanks to this, we will provide comfort not only to the rodents, but also ourselves, without exposing ourselves to unpleasant odors at home.

You should also remove uneaten remains of fruit and vegetables from the cage, as leftovers lying too long may harm the hamster.

  • ladders- hamsters love to squeeze through all kinds of nooks and crannies, that's why the cagethe hamster should also be equipped with various types of ladders and tubes. Floors are also welcome for the rodent to climb
  • house- hamsters also need a bit of privacy, so it should be sheltered in the form of a plastic or wooden house
  • reel- a reel is an indispensable element of the cage's equipment. Due to the fact that hamsters lead a nocturnal lifestyle, before buying, pay attention to the volume of the device, so that the noise of the reel does not disturb the household members

A hamster must not be bathed. Rodents wash themselves.

You can also make your hamster move by releasing it from its cage. In order for the hamster to be able to freely and stress-free exercise outside the cage, it is best to purchase a specialrunning ball . In this way, he will certainly not run away anywhere, and the household members can have full control over him.

Worth knowing

Hamster - in a cage or in an aquarium?

Hamsters can be kept in a cage, terrarium or aquarium. But what kind of flat is the best for a rodent?

Hamsters love to climbto climb , so the cage is definitely a good option for them. Thanks to this, they can exercise their feet by walking on the stamens. In addition, there is much more air circulation in the cage than in an aquarium or terrarium.

Cages are also more convenient to clean as they have a detachable top. This makes it easy to empty the litter box itself. In the case of an aquarium, the task is a bit more difficult, because used sawdust has to be removed from the top. It also becomes cumbersome to wash the aquarium due to its size and weight. It is also easy to damage or break glass.

Dwarf hamsters can squeeze between the rungs, therefore a better solution will be to buy a cage with very small gaps between the bars, a terrarium or an aquarium.

Hamsters likedigging in sawdust , so you should pour them quite a thick layer. However, if you want to keep the surroundings and the room clean, it is worth choosing a cage with a high bottom or an aquarium, because with a low litter box the hamster can spread sawdust around it.

When deciding on an aquarium, you should also take into account the specificity of mounting rodent toys and drinkers. They must contain special suckers for glass. In the case of the cage, the task is easier, because you can easily attach various types of ladders, a floor, a drinker or a reel to the rungs.

Hamster - nutrition. What can a hamster eat?

Breeding hamsters should be fed according to strict rules. Their primary food sourceis a specialized feed containing a mixture for rodents.

Hamsters must not be fed onions, beans, crispy lettuce, s alted peanuts, sweets, citrus fruit and stone fruit.

Additionally, hamsters can be fed with seeds of wheat, oats, barley, corn, flax, sorghum, millet as well as sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

Hamsters can also eat vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, broccoli, beets, turnips, cauliflower leaves, parsley. The diet of hamsters can also be varied with fruits: apples, pears, watermelons, grapes, raspberries, strawberries and bananas.

Hamsters also like insects, which are a rich source of protein for them. They eat mealworm larvae very willingly. They can also eat herbs such as: clover, dandelion, grouse, yarrow, starworm, old man, dill and raspberry leaves.

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Category:

Pets