Syrian Hamster
About Hamster
Syrian Hamster
The
Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is mammal appurtenant to the order of
rodents. Its front teeth are constantly growing and
they must be necessary regularly rasped to avoid some health problems. If it is
necessary you must cut overgrown teeth to your hamster.
Size of its body is 14 - 17 cm, females are bigger than males, hamster weighs 100 - 190
g and the average lifespan is 2 -
2,5 years. The babies are born hairless, blind and deaf, they grow very quickly and
quickly sexually mature. Litters are very numerous. Female has more litters by the
year,
her gestation period is very short (16 days). The number of its chromosomes is 44.
The Syrian Hamster originates from semi-desert
areas of Syria. It lives solitary life in burrows deep approximately 2.5 m,
which consist of many tunnels and chambers, where the hamster sleeps and has its
reserves of food. It is nocturnal sleeping during the hot days and awakes at
coolish evenings when it goes for feed, which it gives into its big cheekpouches.
During the night it comes
back several times into its burrow to empty its cheekpouches, so it runs many
kilometres. The
Syrian Hamster has very poor eyesight but it has a very good hearing (hears even
supersound) and smell.
Natural colouring is gold, that is why it is
sometimes called Golden Hamster. Further they are known some others names joint
with specific colour, pattern or duration of fur. So for example the Black
Syrian Hamster is also referred to as the Black Bear or European Black Bear
Hamster, Black Eyed Cream and Cinnamon are called Honey Bears, Dark Eared White
is named Polar Bear, Sable is sometimes referred as Blue Sable, Black Dominant Spot Syrian Hamster is also referred to Dalmatian
Hamster, Roan or Sable is sometimes called as Blue Hamster, Banded Black is
named Panda Bear, Tortoiseshell is referred as Harlequin, Tortoiseshell with
White pattern is named sometimes Calico, Long Haired Syrian Hamster is sometimes referred to as Teddy Bear
Hamster. In addition the Hairless Syrian Hamster is sometimes referred to as
the Alien Hamster. The word hamster comes from the German word "hamstern"
which means "to hoard". I don't advise to use these terms because of
in the end nobody knows what you are talking about.
The Syrian Hamster is very popular and modest
pet suitable also for small children. If human handle it kindly, it very quickly
become tame. Exception in this case can be hamster with bad experience, at its
case it is needed more of patience and a long time for getting its trust. The
Syrian Hamster lives solitary and it is meeting in nature only for short periods
in mating seasons. Because of this it is necessary to breed it separately. If it
is bred in multi in one cage, some fights occur, which can end death. If hamster
mother has got her babies, it is necessary to detach them from her after weaning
and in their age of 8 - 10 weeks there is the end of harmonious common life
between brothers and sisters too. From my own experience I must note to this
theme, that many breeders start with 2 - 3 hamsters and when their breed starts
to rise, they examine to breed hamsters together in multi, but finally they
mostly discover that it is not a good idea. I breeded my hamsters
in multi too, so these are my experiences with it: I breeded together apart
males and apart females, I gave them together in various age, during about half
a year they never injured themselves seriously, but sometimes they fought. They
had small injuries on their feet and occasionally some ear was ripped. Hamsters
slept snuggled up to themselves, it seemed so harmonious. But it was clear that
they were displeased and that hamsters canceled. So I started to buy many and many
cages at that time. 
The
same thing many of the breeders do in the end. The golden rule for breeding
Syrian Hamsters is: one hamster = one cage! Don't compel Syrian Hamsters to live
together! I wrote this in detail because of I
very often read somewhere about if you give male to female which is not in
season, they will start to fight hardly immediately. I think that it is not so
dramatic. But if mainly two males are accustomed to be alone, they would to
injure themeselves seriously. My males after they started to live alone, they
became to be very intolerant to other males and they detest already only smell
of other males from my hand and start to snap darkly immediately. I think they
would kill themselves if it was possible. My females are fundamentally more
mild. So in fine: I don't advise breed Syrians in multi in one cage
and if you want to give some hamster to the other pay attention. Beyond this not
too insignificant condition (1 hamster = 1 cage), the Syrian Hamster is not too
exacting for keep. It needs some place without air draught, not too moist. It is
breeded in room temperature. If in winter time will rest surrounding temperature
for a long time under 10 centigrade and days will cut down, it should fall into
winter dormancy, which is not needed to stay healthy.
Characteristics of the Syrian Hamster:
| Average
life
span: |
2
-
2,5
years |
| Body
size: |
14
-
17
cm |
| Weigh: |
100
-
190
g |
| Pulse
rate: |
280
-
500/min
(average
450/min) |
| Total
volume of blood: |
65
- 80 ml/kg |
| Blood
pressure systolic: |
20
kPa |
| Blood
pressure diastolic: |
14,7
kPa |
| Characteristics
of blood: general
data: |
0,42
- 0,55 l/l
haematocrit, 145 -
180 g/l
haemoglobin |
| Characteristics
of blood:
cytology: |
5,0
- 9,2 1012/l
erythrocytes,
4,5 - 8,4 109/l
leukocytes,
0,4 - 3,2 109/l
neutrophyle
granulocytes, 0 -
0,4 109/l
eosinophil
granulocytes, 0 -
0,1 109/l
basophil
granulocytes, 3,0 -
5,9 109/l
lymphocytes,
0 - 1,0 109/l
monocytes,
250 - 570 109/l
thrombocytes |
| Characteristics
of blood:
biochemical
profile: |
45
- 78 g/l total
protein, 26 -
41 g/l albumin, 27
- 42 g/l globulins,
3,3 - 8,3 mmol/l
glucose, 2,0 -
4,1 mmol/l blood
urea,
36 - 89 µmol/l
creatinine, 4,3 -
10,3 µmol/l
bilirubin, 144 -
152 mmol/l
natrium,
5,5 - 7,2 mmol/l
kalium, 1,2 -
2,9 mmol/l calcium,
1,1 - 2,6 mmol/l
phosphorus, 86 - 112
mmol/l chlorides |
| Respiration
rate: |
35
-
135/min
(average
74/min) |
| Rectal
temperature: |
36
-
38°C |
| Standard
laboratory
photoperiod: |
14
h
light/10
h
dark |
| Water
consumption: |
30
ml/day |
| Food
consumption: |
10
-
15
g/day |
| Type
of
ovulation: |
spontaneous |
| Estrous
cycle
length: |
4
days |
| Length
of
receptive
period: |
12
-
29
h |
| Time
of
ovulation: |
10
-
12
h
after
onset
of
receptivity |
| Length
of
pseudopregnancy: |
8
-
10
days |
| Length
of
pregnancy: |
16
days |
| Length
of
parturition: |
1,5
-
2,5
h |
| Postpartum
estrus: |
none |
| Number
of
pups
in
litter: |
4
-
15
(average
8
-
9) |
| Sex
ratio
at
birth: |
106
males
:
100
females |
| Pups
begin
eating
solid
food: |
9
-
10
days |
| Eyes
open: |
14
days |
| Weaning
age: |
21
days |
| Sexual
maturation
of
males: |
earliest
onset
of
copulatory
behavior: |
30
days |
|
presence
of
sperm
in
penile
smear: |
42
days |
|
maintenance
of
full
reproductive
activity: |
beyond
30
months |
| Sexual
maturation
of
females: |
vaginal
opening: |
8
-
14
days |
|
first
ovulation: |
26
-
30
days |
|
earliest
onset
of
copulatory
behavior: |
28
days
(average
34
days) |
|
recommended
breeding
age: |
4
months |
|
onset
of
reproductive
deficiencies: |
10
-
12
months |
|
(cycle
regularity,
number
of
ova, |
|
maintenance
of
pregnancy) |
