Top 10 Facts about Hamsters

Hamsters are especially sweet and intelligent animals. For this reason, it is understandable why they're one of the most popular small animal pets in the world. So here are some Top 10 facts about hamsters - 

1. "There are many species of Hamsters" - Although, hamsters can look similar to the untrained eye. There are up to 24 different species of this animal. Currently the most popular kept as pets are the Syrian or golden hamster, the Chinese hamster, the Russian hamster or the rubber off ski hamster. Knowing the particularity of each hamster species is essential in providing the best care.

2. "Hamsters are very prone to stress" - In the wild, hamsters are easy prey for many predators. They remain constantly alert and are able to react quickly to any danger. Therefore, these small rodents are especially prone to stress and require a very positive environment to feel comfortable and safe . Additionally, hamster can get stress at home if they do not exercise, if we don't offer mental stimulation or if the hygiene of the cage is deficient.

3. "They have a very short life expectancy" - Although, the longevity of a hamster varies according to breed the conditions of its environment and the care provided by its caretaker. The truth is that these small rodents usually have a short life expectancy in general is estimated that a hamster can live between two and four years of age and though, some individuals can reach as much as five or six.

4. "Females can eat their young" - Animal cannibalism has been the subject of numerous investigations in many species and even today, is not possible to affirm with total certainty the exact cause of this behavior. In hamsters, this phenomenon arises the special curiosity and concern. It's generally believed that the mother considers the offspring weak or enabled to survive. However, there are also other possible causes of this behavior. Such as - The stress of feeding and breeding very large litters , Nutritional Deficits, the presence of meals in the cage, lack of space or the fact that a baby is born too far from the nest.

5. "We can tell the sex of a Hamster by looking at their tail" - It's difficult to differentiate the male hamster from a female just by looking at its parents. However, knowing the sex of your own, it may be easier than you imagine. The main method is to observe the perianal area of the rodent, which is just below its tail. Exert a s light pressure to separate the hair from the skin. In males, this region is more protuberant than females. Thanks to the presence of the testicles. We may also observe that the distance between the anus and the genital papilla, the penis is larger.

6. "Their Teeth never stop growing" - The teeth of hamsters as well as other rodents never stop growing. The animal needs to wear them down constantly to maintain an optimal and symmetrical length. In the wild, Hamsters would be responsible for looking for small pieces of trunk or tree branch to maintain their dentition. However, in the case of domestic hamsters, it's their care-givers you should be responsible for offering these elements to their pets. It is usually recommended  to offer organic branches of fruit trees to domestic rodents.

7. "Hamsters like a varied diet" - The care and feeding of a hamster is essential to their up bringing to allow them to strengthen their immune system prevent disease and be provided with an optimum quality of life. However, although there is commercial feed available for hamsters that facilitate the work providing the nutrients in a balanced way. It's highly beneficial to include fresh natural and organic food in your pets dining. These may include cereals, legumes, nuts fruits, and vegetables beneficial for their health.

8. "They are crepuscular animals" - A look very slightly depending on the species, the majority of domestic hamsters are nocturnal or crepuscular. This means, it is not strange to observe they remain especially active at dusk, during the night or in the early morning. Hamsters possess especially large eyes dominated by rod cells. These are photoreceptor cells responsible for vision when there's little light in the environment. You should avoid bothering them during the day when they are sleeping peacefully and spend more time in the afternoon or early morning when the time of maximum activity occurs.

9. "They love to explore" - Hamsters are especially curious animals and they adored digging and sniffing around the environment, in which they live. They mainly use their whiskers to detect the different elements that we introduce into their space collected information in the process. Also don't forget that these rodents tend to dig burrows in the wild which is why you should always provide tunnels and nests for their environment.

10. "They are very intelligent" - Like many other rodents, hamsters are especially intelligent animals in addition to enjoying well-developed senses such as - smell and hearing which is important for social communication. Hamsters are able to learn simple tricks and exercises. They can perform certain tasks if we use positive re-enforcement as a reward for their actions. A dog clicker may even be a good tool to use during learning.

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