Syrian Hamster

About Hamster

Wild Relatives

There are very many species of hamsters, so here is only a slight part. Wild relatives of our domesticated hamsters are for example European Hamster (Cricetus cricetus), Rumanian Hamster (Mesocricetus newtoni), Turkish Hamster (Mesocricetus brandti), Chinese Striped Hamster (Cricetulus barabensis), Eversmann's Hamster (Cricetulus eversmanni) and many others.

European Hamster

The European Hamster (Cricetus cricetus) lives in steppes and forest steppes of central and eastern Europe (lives in Czech Republic too) and Russia, where it chooses rather lowlands and riverbanks. It was first documented in 1679. It was named in 1758.

The European Hamster is the biggest of the hamster species with length of body between 22 - 32 cm. It weighs 150 - 500 g. The average lifespan is 8 years. Females usually have 2 - 4 litters each year, the gestation period is 18 - 21 days, the litter size varies from 5 to 11. The European Hamster lives solitary life in burrows deep approximately 2 m, which consist of many tunnels and chambers. It is very aggressive towards others of the same species. As the most of hamsters it is nocturnal. In the night it is going for feed which it gives into its big cheekpouches. Its diet consists of green vegetation and grains but also of insect, amphibians and reptiles. It hibernates from October to March, but it sometimes wakes up to eat and drink. It is a good swimmer, it inflates its cheekpouches with air to help stay above water level whilst swimming. If it proliferates, it makes great damages to farmers, who then kill it. Once in age of dearth people scratched up caches of European Hamsters to have enough corn for themselves. Today it affects in nature rather rarely. In Czech Republic it is hardly protected, if during the construction works the hamster burrow is found, hamsters must be rehoused. It is very fighting and if it is fretful it stands into a threatening posture on to its hinders, it jumps against disturber and it splutters. In captivity its aggressiveness falls down. In Czech Republic, it is necessary to have a licence to catch it in nature. The original colour in the wild is light brown with black belly, black on the sides and on the feet, which is enough unusual in mammals, although albino and black mutations exist in nature.

Rumanian Hamster

The Rumanian Hamster (Mesocricetus newtoni) lives in steppes of Rumania, Bulgaria and Western Russia.

The Rumanian Hamster is similar in appearance and behaviour to the Syrian Hamster. The original colour in the wild is similar like in Syrians too.