Myths and interesting facts about hamsters

We tell the most common myths about these cute rodents.

World hamster day, by the way, is celebrated on April 12.

And we also offer a selection of interesting facts about hamsters. Have you ever had a hamster at home? Test yourself to see if you know these cute animals well.

Myth 1: “Hamsters smell bad”

A hamster, compared to other pets, is one of the neatest. The rodent takes care of itself: it allocates a separate place in the cage for food and toilet. Constantly washes its fur and paws. If you clean the cage on time, then you will definitely not feel the unpleasant smell.

Myth 2: “A hamster is bored living alone in a cage”

No it is not! The point is that rodents live alone, because everyone wants to live only on their own territory. Some buy two hamsters from birth, but, unfortunately, in adulthood, they do not get along together. They often fight for territory, as a result of which one of the hamsters dies.

Myth 3: “Hamsters are unpretentious, so you can keep them in a jar”

Hops are really unpretentious, but you should forget about the jar once and for all! Those who say that a small enough area for a hamster to live in are very mistaken. This is not quite so. The hamster is a very active rodent, likes to run both in the running wheel and on the cage itself, and sometimes hangs on the bars of the cage. Scientists even calculated that if the running wheel was not fixed, but rolled on a flat surface, a domestic hamster would run 10-12 kilometers in a day. Therefore, it is better to give the hamster a spacious cage with all amenities.

Myth 4: “Hamsters are unnecessary”

Hamsters practically do not make sounds and will not be able to communicate with you. They cannot clean the cage after themselves, but they are interesting to watch. A hamster knows how to sort food in a certain place and over time can learn to respond to its own name. You can watch for hours how these animals make their sleeping place, fill their cheeks with food or wash themselves amusingly.

Myth 5: “Hamsters bite”

Every hamster, like any human, has has its own character and comfort zone. If you grab him unexpectedly, he will get scared and therefore may even bite. It is recommended to take a hamster carefully. Slowly lower your hand into the cage, wrap your arms around the body from above, run your fingers under the front paws and carefully pick up your pet.

As you can see, hamsters are very cute animals that love their owners and will never refuse their affection. Most species of rodents can bring their owners great pleasure from communicating with them.

Other interesting facts about hamsters

Hamsters they swim perfectly. They use their own cheeks as floats, simply sucking air into them.

Almost all domesticated hamsters (Syrian or golden hamsters) descended from a female that gave birth to 12 cubs in 1930.

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This species was first described in 1839 and was then considered extinct. However, in 1930, Israel Aharoni found a pregnant female Syrian hamster during an expedition to Syria. It is her descendants that can now be found in homes all over the world.

In the wild, hamsters wash themselves with sand.

Hamsters have a high tolerance to alcohol. WARNING: do not experiment in practice! A study published in the journal Behavioral Processes found that Campbell’s dwarf hamsters can drink about 10 times more ethanol than a person, before they show any signs of intoxication. The reason for this is the presence in them of an active set of alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes.

Hamsters are nocturnal creatures. Given their reputation as great pets, it’s a bit surprising that hamsters mostly stay awake at night and the noise from a running wheel can cause some discomfort to their owners.

Hamsters illegible in communications. Male and female hamsters have several partners. In the wild, during the breeding season, males will descend into any burrow and mate with any female they find, provided that female has not yet mated. Females usually give birth to about four litters a year – their gestation period is only 15-22 days.

Hamsters are banned in Hawaii and California. Due to their high reproductive capacity and the fact that both states have more favorable climates for hamsters, pet hamsters are illegal in Hawaii and California. The law was passed because of potential problems for agriculture, as hamsters escaping into the wild could quickly establish large colonies.

In the wild, one hamster prepares up to 60-80 kg of food for the winter, or even more. This is much more than he can eat, but these animals always store as much as they can. Other rodents act in a similar way – squirrels, which, moreover, often forget the places of their shelters. New trees sometimes sprout from the nuts they store in the spring.

As in other rodents, in hamsters front incisors grow throughout life, and they are forced to constantly gnaw on something to grind them. But at the same time, they are one of the very few species of animals that are born with teeth.

There are about 400 species of hamsters, and among them there are quite large ones that grow up to 30-35 cm in length. But Syrian hamsters, popular among rodent lovers, have long been listed in the International Red Book.

Since hamsters spend most of their lives on the ground, in the grass, they do not need sharp vision. They really have a weak one they do not distinguish colors at all. But they have an excellent sense of smell and acute hearing, which allows them to hear “food” at a great distance and quickly react to the slightest signs of danger.

Hamsters remember their relatives with whom they lived in the same cage.