Native to the country Syria and mostly known as Laboratory animals, Hamsters define a different level of fluffiness and cuteness. These are short-tailed rodents with chunky bodies, thick fur, and cheek pouches. These are funny, intelligent, interesting and beyond amazing.
They prove to be great pets. All you got to know little more about them is right here. Read on for some interesting facts about hamsters:
Hamsters are nocturnal animals meaning they sleep during the day and are active at night. Most hamsters divide their day into sleeping and walking.
Source: hamsterbunglow.com, image: Flickr
2. A lone ranger
Hamsters are animals who mostly tend to live by themselves, prefer solitude. They go along with humans but not with other animals. While they seem like a great pet option, hamsters like dwarf hamsters can live in a cage.
Source: hamsterbunglow.com, image: wikimedia.org
3. Quite a Digger!
Hamsters have a natural instinct to burrow. They can dig extensive tunnels beneath the ground which can be as far as 3 feet deep.
Source: pets4homes.co.uk, image: Flickr
4. Can store food in their cheeks
An unusual fact about hamsters is that they have the ability to store food in their cheeks and eat it later. If they find food at a place where they don’t feel safe, they store it and eat it later at a safe place. The mother hamsters put their babies into cheeks too to save them from predators.
Source: thehamsterhouse.com
5. Hamsters are born blind
When a baby hamster (pup) is born, for the two weeks, it cannot open its eyes. Also in the later stages, it is observed that hamsters have poor eyesight and depth perception.
Source: hamsterbunglow.com, image: Flickr
6. Can have way too many babies
It is interesting to note that these tiny rodents can have up to 24 babies at a time. They breed in spring and summer and on an average they can have 7 litters (pups) but can also have a maximum of 24 pups in one go.
Source: thehamsterhouse.com, image: Flickr
7. Delay the birth of pups
There are certain dwarf species of Hamsters which can delay the birth of their unborn pups.
Source: freewebs.com, image: wikimedia.org
8. Your cold can be contagious to them
Hamsters can easily catch a cold from humans. So if you are contagious, I would suggest, maintain your distance from your beloved pet.
Source: easyscienceforkids.com
9. Have special kind of “Scent GPS”
Hamsters have scent glands on their hips or abdomen depending on their species which they use to leave a trace of smell to help them with navigation and tracking of their mates.
Source: fun-facts.org.uk, image: Flickr
10. Get yourself a Teddy Bear Hamster
The most popular kind of hamsters as pets are Syrians hamsters, commonly known as the Golden Hamster or Teddy Bear Hamster. How Cute is this!
Source: fun-facts.org.uk, image: Flickr
11. Hamsters love to stay in shape
Well, unlike most humans, hamsters love to exercise. We all are aware of spinning wheel; hamsters love to run in. Even the pregnant hamster can run 5 miles in a day.
Source: canadianliving.com
12. Hamster’s teeth never stop growing
Hamsters like to chew all the time. This is because their front teeth keep on growing and if they won’t chew; their teeth would grow so big that it will be difficult for them to open their mouth.
Source: thehamsterhouse.com, image: Flickr
13. Clever tiny rodents
Hamsters are known to be very clever. If you train them good, they respond to their pet name and can do tricks. Also, they remember their relatives.
Source: pets4homes.co.uk, image: Flickr
14. Allergic to Cedar
Hamsters can eat anything and everything but oddly enough they are allergic to cedar. Go figure!
Source: arkinspace.com
15. Hamsters are great pets
Well, that’s not very surprising that these adorable creatures are great pets. They are gentle, and even though they have the ability to bite, they just do it when they are scared or surprise. If they are treated well and not awakened during sleeping hours, they are cute as hell to be around.
Source: coolkidfacts.com