The hamster is a small furry animal with short fur and stout body parts. It belongs to the rodent family and is widely recognized as an offshoot of mice and rats. The hamster’s name comes from the German word ‘Hamster,’ which translates into hoard. Due to its ability to store food on both sides of its mouth, this pet makes an excellent pet!
Are you an enthusiastic hamster fanatic? Look no further – here’s your essential guide. From their discovery to remarkable intelligence, we cover it all here!
10 Essential Facts for Hamster Enthusiasts
1: Hamsters Were Discovered in Syria
Discovering Hamsters in Syria is an entrancing story. First identified in 1797, then in 1930, archaeologist Aaron Abrahams found a nest of 12 baby hamsters near Aleppo that he captured for medical research. Eventually, their descendants were distributed globally during that decade and arrived domesticated as pets later that same year in 1936.
2: There Are Around 20 Species of Hamsters
Hamsters represent an extremely varied species group that spans 20 species closely related to voles, lemmings, and mice. Of those closely related species, five are commonly kept as pets: Syrian, Roborovski dwarf, Campbell’s Russian dwarfs, Campbell’s Russian winter white dwarf, and Chinese. Golden or Syrian hamsters remain popular.
Though some species, like European and Turkish hamsters, make excellent companions, others, like these, do best living freely in nature.
3: Hamsters Are Nocturnal Creatures
One of the more intriguing characteristics of hamsters is their unique nighttime activity pattern, which they inherited from their ancestors. Hamsters tend to become active at night to escape daytime heat while simultaneously warding off visual predators and protecting themselves from visual threats.
But how do these creatures see in the dark? Their sensory whiskers use their surroundings as cues for gathering data about themselves; then, via signalling pathways between whisker-and-cortex signalling, they enable night vision.
4: Hamsters Are Banned in Hawaii
Yes, due to their unique characteristics and ecosystems, which are particularly fragile in Hawaii, hamsters are illegal to own or bring into Hawaii. Hamsters could become an invasive species if allowed to escape and breed; their reproduction would damage local plants and wildlife. Therefore, this ban is in place to safeguard Hawaii’s fragile ecology and ensure safety for everyone on its islands.
5: Hamsters’ Teeth Have Continuous Growth
Yes, one of the hamster facts is that their teeth never stop growing! Incisors (front teeth) consistently expand throughout their lives in all rodent species – something unique to these little rodents! Their dentin layer sits under complex enamel layers on both the inside and out for easy, continuous development and growth.
Hamsters constantly use their upper and lower incisors against each other to combat the overgrowth of overgrown teeth. Furthermore, these sharp points serve many different purposes, such as chewing food items like seeds or nuts while cracking open tough foods, digging burrows, protecting themselves against predators, etc.
Notably, when their teeth stop growing, hamsters become lethargic, and this could shorten their lives significantly.
6: Dwarf Hamsters Are 2 to 4 Inches, While Syrian Hamsters Can Grow Up to 6 Inches
Hamsters generally range in length from two to seven inches; members of the Phodopus genus tend to be among the smallest species, with body lengths spanning 5.5-10.5 cm. Furthermore, physical characteristics vary across species, with Syrians typically measuring about five to seven inches while dwarf hamsters reach two to four inches long.
7: Some Hamsters Can Run Up to 8 Miles On Their Exercise Wheel in a Single Night
Hamsters tend to become active during evening and nighttime hours, travelling up to eight miles in search of food before returning home with it in their cheek pouches. Hamsters are highly motivated rodents known for running on running wheels (an exercise device exclusively used by them); one such wheel connected to an electrical generator can produce up to 500 milliW of electric power!
8: Hamsters Typically Live Around 2-3 Years
The lifespan of domestic hamsters varies with species. Domestic individuals typically outlive their wild counterparts due to greater protection from predators such as owls and foxes, as well as environmental factors and competition from other hamsters that shorten lifespans in nature.
Syrian, Teddy bear and Roborovski dwarf hamsters have an average life expectancy of 2-3 years; dwarf and Chinese hamsters tend to last anywhere from one to three years; Winter White dwarf or Russian dwarf hamsters usually only live up to one year before reaching adulthood.
Proper diet, care, and living environments that foster domestic hamsters’ well-being can extend their lifespans.
9: Hamsters Hoard Food
Hamsters have earned the label of notorious food hoarders due to their penchant for hoarding food in their cheek pouches. These pouches are often used to gather and transport food back home when food sources become scarce in the wild. Food hoarding occurs more commonly among food-deprived hamsters, who store food both inside their pouches and nests.
10: Hamsters Have Poor Eyesight
Hamsters are colour-blind and possess limited eyesight, being unable to perceive colours other than black and white. Their eyes consist of 97% rod cells and only 3% cone cells, enabling some perception of green spectrum colours.
Hamsters possess superior night vision due to the abundance of rod cells within them, which efficiently draw light into their retina and improve nighttime activity levels.
Conclusion
Hamsters are brilliant animals capable of recognising both their names and those who care for them, including themselves. From their nocturnal habits to instinctual hoarding behaviour, these diminutive mammals possess many intriguing characteristics that help us better understand them. Here, we present facts about hamsters to give us more insights into them and enable us to gain even more profound knowledge.
FAQs
What are 5 facts about hamsters?
- Hamsters were discovered in Syria
- There are around 20 species of hamsters
- Hamsters are nocturnal creatures
- Hamsters are banned in Hawaii
- Hamster’s teeth have continuous growth
How long do hamsters live?
Hamsters typically live 1-3 years. Syrian, Teddy Bear, Roborovski dwarf hamster, and Chinese dwarf hamster life spans are around 2-3 years, while their lifespan varies between 1-3.
How old is the oldest hamster?
Guinness Book of World Records now records that an old British hamster lived 4.5 years.
Do hamsters recognize their name?
Yes, hamsters have the intelligence necessary to recognize their names. Additionally, they are easily trainable and often recognize their owners immediately upon hearing them call their names.
What are the 20 types of hamsters?
- Chinese hamster
- Roborovski dwarf hamster
- Winter white dwarf hamster
- Syrian Hamster
- European Hamster
- Dwarf Hamster
- Syrian golden pet hamster
- Ciscaucasian hamster
- Romanian hamster
- Tibetan dwarf hamster
- Mouse-Like Hamster
- Turkish Hamster
- Ladak Hamster
- Chinese Striped Hamster
- Mongolian Hamster
- Eversmann’s Hamster
- Ciscaucasian Hamster
- Lesser Long Tailed Hamster
- Armenian Hamster
- Greater Long Tailed Hamster
What is the rarest hamster ever?
The European Hamster (Cricetus Cricetus), commonly referred to as the Common Hamster will become extinct within 30 years and belongs to Eurasia as one of several endangered hamster species.