Hamsters are commonly kept as house pets which are small rodents that are distinguishable from other rodents due to the presence of short tails, stubby legs, and small ears. Hamsters like to live in warm and dry areas and were first discovered in Syria. They also lived in Greece, Romania, Belgium, and northern China and are also found in areas like steps, dunes, and the edges of deserts. Hamsters are nocturnal; they like sleeping during the day. They dig burrows which are a series of tunnels so that they can live and breed in it in the wild.
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It helps them with the storage of food and living underground helps them to keep themselves cool in hot climates. A few hamsters are social while others are loners. The serial Hamster doesn’t like living near other hamsters as they are territorial and should never be put in a cage with the other hamsters. If these hamsters are put with the other hamster it will bite and may even kill it. A few wild hamsters live in packs and enjoy each other’s company. The socialized hamsters are mostly dwarf hamsters who like to have a friend nearby. This is the reason for the shorter expected life spans of wild hamsters in comparison with domesticated hamsters or dwarf hamsters. The hibernation among the wild hamsters starts when the weather gets cold enough and they wake up from hibernation periodically to eat.
More about hamsters
Hamsters are food hoarders. Their cheeks make their heads double or even triple in size on getting full and they lose weight during the autumns in anticipation of winters which occurs when they are kept as pets or increase their exercise. The tail of the hamster is difficult to see as it is not very long usually and is about the length of 1//6th of the body. Hamsters have severe problems getting on in life including nearsightedness and color blindness. They rely on scent to detect food and work out if they are near a male or female.
Hamsters use their sense of smell to distinguish between the sexes and the mother hamsters use their census to find their babies and find out which ones are not their own. They are susceptible to loud noises and communicate in the ultrasonic range. Hamsters cat sound by having their ears upright and learning similar noises to know the sound of their food and even their owner’s voice. For spreading their scent they use the glands present on their legs. High or low temperatures and drafts make them extremely vulnerable. Snowy conditions make them burrow underground.
How do hamsters survive in their natural habitat?
The natural habitat of the hamsters explains why these desert animals tend to burrow underground and have thick fur. The temperature in the deserts fluctuates from scorching heat to cold in 24 hours which has made hamsters evolve themselves to survive these conditions. To live in the wild means needing to look for food every time during the summers or winters. This made hamsters and together with as much food as they carry in their cheek pouches as they never know it will run out whenever which are sorted for future use.
The different markings and colorings compared to their domestic counterparts make the hamsters unique in their natural habitat. The light brown spots or grey-colored spots on their back define wild hamsters. This helps them with performing camouflage from their predators and the palest stomach reflects the surface temperature which ensures that they don’t get too hot or too cold. The hamsters find comfort in a friendly environment as they require a few things in their habitat that must be there or else they will get stressed, possibly get sick and die.
The habitat must be somewhere quiet, dry, and drought-free, and somewhere dim like the modern homes far away from a hamster’s natural habitat. Excessive noises can stress the hamster. They have superior hearing which is why they can hear high-frequency sounds. The temperature must be between 18 and 21 degrees celsius if it gets lower the Hamster will start hibernating and it could get dehydrated.
What type of home habitat is suitable for hamsters?
Hamsters are clean as they love a sand bath and they can smell if You don’t clean their cage regularly as they need to be clean. They require spaces and need to be able to go up and down or climb and dig. The depth is important ideally for the kids for their bedding and nesting material and the habitat needs to be secure as they are little Houdinis. Hamsters can travel for miles as they do not deal well with boredom so the cage for hamsters must be full of toys as a bored hamster is a destructive hamster.
If a hamster is provided with nothing it will start chewing the wire or anything it can get a hold of. The cage can become entertaining by fitting a few things for the entertainment of a hamster. This may include an exercise wheel, gnawing blocks, and a few interactive toys. The wheel must be in a way that it cannot give back problems to the Hamster as running on a small wheel can create back issues. So while running the back should be flat of the hamster and the wheel does not have a solid running surface as the feet could get caught in between.
A special plastic shelf must be there in a cage which will be the best place to add a water bottle for the hamster. This way the bedding will remain clean and dry as the hamsters avoid damp bedding. Nest boxes should be there in the cage as it provides comfort to the hamsters and it will be easy for them to hide from potential predators as it is in their nature to hide from the prey. Nest boxes will make them feel secure and safe.
“Hamsters find comfort in the familiar so the changes in their habitat must be minimal.”
