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Most hamsters in American and British pet stores are Syrian hamsters. Originally, Syrian hamsters occurred in just one color – the natural wild agouti – but they have since developed a variety of color and pattern mutations, including cream, white, blonde, cinnamon, tortoiseshell, black, three different shades of gray, dominant spot, banded ...
Syrian hamsters should be housed by themselves. "Syrian hamsters need to be kept alone, regardless of their gender. In the wild, this species of hamster only usually come together to mate, so ...
The Syrian hamster was first recognized as a distinct species in 1839. [3] In 1930, a scientist seeking animal subjects for medical research had the first Syrian hamsters captured to become laboratory animals. [4] Scientists bred those hamsters and during the 1930s sent their descendants to various other laboratories around the world. [5]
Hamsters are most active early in the night, then become less active as the night passes. [2] A study of Syrian hamsters in the wild found that they were active almost exclusively in the daytime, which is a surprising difference from behavior in the laboratory. [2] The sleeping behavior of wild hamsters is not well understood. [2]
Gestation lasts 16 to 18 days for Syrian hamsters, 18 to 21 days for Russian hamsters, 21 to 23 days for Chinese hamsters and 23 to 30 for Roborovski hamsters. The average litter size for Syrian hamsters is about seven pups, but can be as great as 24, which is the maximum number of pups that can be contained in the uterus.
Mesocricetus is a genus of Old World hamsters, including the Syrian or golden hamster, the first hamster to be introduced as a domestic pet, and still the most popular species of hamster for that purpose. Recent research has shown that, unlike almost all other land mammals studied, all species of this genus lack the capacity for color vision. [2]
Hamsters first gained popularity as pets in the 1930s, with virtually all modern Syrian hamsters (the most common pet species) tracing their lineage back to a single litter of hamsters taken to Palestine for scientific research in 1930. Shortly thereafter, in 1938, hamsters were introduced to the United States. [17] Dwarf hamsters are also ...
Mouse-like hamsters, also called brush-tailed mice, are a group of small rodents found in Syria, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. They are found in rocky outcrops and semi-mountainous areas in desert regions. The mouse-like hamsters are not true hamsters, but represent an early split from the rest of the mouse-like ...