History

Although the Syrian hamster or golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) was first d
escribed scientifically by George Robert Waterhouse in 1839, researchers were no
t able to successfully breed and domesticate hamsters until 1939.[2] The entire
laboratory and pet populations of Syrian hamsters appear to be descendants of a
single brother sister pairing. These littermates were captured and imported in 193
0 from Aleppo in Syria by Israel Aharoni, a zoologist of the University of Jerus
alem.[4] In Jerusalem, the hamsters bred very successfully. Years later, animals
of this original breeding colony were exported to the USA, where Syrian hamster
s became one of the most popular pets and laboratory animals.[citation needed] C
omparative studies of domestic and wild Syrian hamsters have shown reduced genet
ic variability in the domestic strain. However, the differences in behavioral, c
hronobiological, morphometrical, hematological, and biochemical parameters are r
elatively small and fall into the expected range of interstrain variations in ot
her laboratory animals.[5]
Early literature
In 1774, Friedrich Gabriel Sulzer, a companion of Johann-Wolfgang von Goethe, de
voted a whole academic monograph in the domain of social sciences and natural hi
story to hamsters, entitled "An approach to a natural history of the hamster" ("
Versuch einer Naturgeschichte des Hamsters"). In several instances, he used the
hamster to document the equal rights of all beings, including Homo sapiens.[6][f
urther explanation needed]
Etymology
The name "hamster" is a loanword from the German, which itself derives from earl
ier Middle High German hamastra. It is possibly related to Old Church Slavonic k
homestoru, which is either a blend of the root of Russian ????? (khomyak) "hamst
er" and a Baltic word (cf. Lithuanian staras "hamster");[7] or of Persian origin
(cf. Av hamaestar "oppressor").[8]
Description
Skeleton of European hamster
Hamsters are typically stout-bodied, with tails shorter than body length, and ha
ve small, furry ears, short, stocky legs, and wide feet. They have thick, silky
fur, which can be long or short, colored black, grey, honey, white, brown, yello
w, red, or a mix, depending on the species. Two species of hamster belonging to
the genus Phodopus, Campbell's dwarf hamster (P. campbelli) and the Djungarian h
amster (P. sungorus), and two of the genus Cricetulus, the Chinese striped hamst
er (C. barabensis) and the Chinese hamster (C. griseus) have a dark stripe down
their heads to their tails. The species of genus Phodopus are the smallest, with
bodies 5.5 to 10.5 cm (2.2 to 4.1 in) long; the largest is the European hamster
(Cricetus cricetus), measuring up to 34 cm (13.4 in) long, not including a shor
t tail of up to 6 cm (2.4 in). The Angora hamster, also known as the long-haired
or teddy bear hamster, which is a type of the golden hamster is the second-larg
est hamster breed, measuring up to 18 cm (7.1 in) long.[2]
A white Syrian hamster showing large incisors
The hamster tail can be difficult to see, as it is usually not very long (about
1/6 the length of the body), with the exception of the Chinese dwarf hamster, wh
ich has a tail the same length as the body. One rodent characteristic that can b
e highly visible in hamsters is their sharp incisors; they have an upper pair an
d lower pair which grow continuously throughout life, so must be regularly worn
down. Hamsters are very flexible, but their bones are somewhat fragile. They are
extremely susceptible to rapid temperature changes and drafts, as well as extre
me heat or cold.
Senses

Hamsters have poor eyesight; they are nearsighted and colorblind.[9][10] Hamster
s have scent glands on their flanks (and abdomens in Chinese and dwarf hamsters)
which they rub against the substrate, leaving a scent trail.[citation needed] H
amsters also use their sense of smell to distinguish between the sexes, and to l
ocate food. They are also particularly sensitive to high-pitched noises and can
hear and communicate in the ultrasonic range.[4]
Diet
Hamsters are omnivores. Although pet hamsters can survive on a diet of exclusive
ly commercial hamster food, other items, such as vegetables, fruits, seeds, and
nuts, can be given. Hamsters in the Middle East have been known to hunt in packs
to find insects for food.[11] Hamsters are hindgut fermenters and eat their own
feces (coprophagy) to recover nutrients digested in the hindgut, but not absorb
ed.[1]
Behavior
The dissected-out cheek pouches of a European hamster
A behavioral characteristic of hamsters is food hoarding. They carry food in the
ir spacious cheek pouches to their underground storage chambers. When full, the
cheeks can make their heads double, or even triple in size.[1]
Social behavior
Hamsters fighting
Most hamsters are strictly solitary. If housed together, acute and chronic stres
s may occur,[5] and they may fight fiercely, sometimes fatally. Some dwarf hamst
er species may tolerate conspecifics. Russian hamsters form close, monogamous bo
nds with their mates, and if separated, they may become very depressed. This hap
pens especially in males. Males will become inactive, eat more, and even show so
me behavioral changes similar to some types of depression in humans.[citation ne
eded] This can even cause obesity in the hamster.
Chronobiology
Evidence conflicts as to whether hamsters are crepuscular or nocturnal. Khunen w
rites, "Hamsters are nocturnal rodents who [sic] are active during the night..."
,[5] but others have written that because hamsters live underground during most
of the day, only leaving their burrows about an hour before sundown and then ret
urning when it gets dark, their behavior is primarily crepuscular.[citation need
ed] Fritzsche indicated although some species have been observed to show more no
cturnal activity than others, they are all primarily crepuscular.[4]
Wild Syrian hamsters are true hibernators and allow their body temperature to fa
ll close to ambient temperature (but not below 20 C). This kind of thermoregulati
on diminishes the metabolic rate to about 5% and helps the animal to considerabl
y reduce the need for food during the winter.[5] Hamsters may not hibernate per
se, but instead reduce the rate of a number of physiological systems, such as br
eathing and heart rate, for short periods of time. These periods of torpor (defi
ned as "a state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility"[12]) can last
up 10 days.[citation needed]
Burrowing behavior
All hamsters are excellent diggers, constructing burrows with one or more entran
ces, with galleries connected to chambers for nesting, food storage, and other a
ctivities.[1] They use their fore- and hindlegs, as well as their snouts and tee
th, for digging. In the wild, the burrow buffers extreme ambient temperatures, o
ffers relatively stable climatic conditions, and protects against predators. Syr
ian hamsters dig their burrows generally at a depth of 0.7 m.[13] A burrow inclu
des a steep entrance pipe (4 5 cm in diameter), a nesting and a hoarding chamber a
nd a blind-ending branch for urination. Laboratory hamsters have not lost their

ability to dig burrows; in fact, they will do this with great vigor and skill if
they are provided with the appropriate substrate.[5]
Wild hamsters will also appropriate tunnels made by other mammals; the Djungaria
n hamster, for instance, uses paths and burrows of the pika.[citation needed]
Reproduction
A mother Syrian hamster with pups less than one week old
Fertility
Hamsters become fertile at different ages depending on their species. Both Syria
n and Russian hamsters mature quickly and can begin reproducing at a young age (
4 5 weeks), whereas Chinese hamsters will usually begin reproducing at two to thre
e months of age, and Roborovskis at three to four months of age. The female's re
productive life lasts about 18 months, but male hamsters remain fertile much lon
ger. Females are in estrus about every four days, which is indicated by a redden
ing of genital areas, a musky smell, and a hissing, squeaking vocalisation she w
ill emit if she believes a male is nearby.[2]
When seen from above, a sexually mature female hamster has a trim tail line; a m
ale's tail line bulges on both sides. This might not be very visible in all spec
ies. Male hamsters typically have very large testes in relation to their body si
ze. Before sexual maturity occurs, it is more difficult to determine a young ham
ster's sex. When examined, female hamsters have their anal and genital openings
close together, whereas males have these two holes farther apart (the penis is u
sually withdrawn into the coat and thus appears as a hole or pink pimple).[2]
Gestation and fecundity
Hamsters are seasonal breeders and will produce several litters a year with seve
ral pups in each litter. The breeding season is from April to October in the Nor
thern Hemisphere, with two to five litters of one to 13 young being born after a
gestation period of 16 to 23 days.[11] Gestation lasts 16 to 18 days for Syrian
hamsters, 18 to 21 days for Russian hamsters, 21 to 23 days for Chinese hamster
s and 23 to 30 for Roborovski hamsters. The average litter size for Syrian hamst
ers 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. Campbell's dwarf hamsters tend to h
ave four to eight pups in a litter, but can have up to 13. Djungarian hamsters t
end to have slightly smaller litters, as do Chinese and Roborovski hamsters.
Intersexual aggression and cannibalism
Female Chinese and Syrian hamsters are known for being aggressive toward the mal
e if kept together for too long after mating. In some cases, male hamsters can d
ie after being attacked by the female. If breeding hamsters, separation of the p
air after mating is recommended, or they will attack each other.
Female hamsters are also particularly sensitive to disturbances while giving bir
th, and may even eat their own young if they think they are in danger, although
sometimes they are just carrying the pups in their cheek pouches.[4] If captive
female hamsters are left for extended periods (three weeks or more) with their l
itter, they may cannibalize the litter, so the litter must be removed by the tim
e the young can feed and drink independently.
Weaning
File:Dwarf hamsters eating cooked, frozen beans - 03.ogv
An adult female and several juvenile dwarf hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) feeding
Hamsters are born hairless and blind in a nest the mother will have prepared in
advance.[2] After one week, they begin to explore outside the nest. They are com
pletely weaned after three weeks, or four for Roborovski hamsters. Most breeders
will sell the hamsters to shops when they are three to nine weeks old.

Longevity
Syrian hamsters typically live no more than two to three years in captivity, and
less in the wild. Russian hamsters (Campbell's and Djungarian) live about two t
o four years in captivity, and Chinese hamsters 21/2 3 years. The smaller Roborovs
ki hamster often lives to three years in captivity.[1]
Society and culture
Hamsters as pets
The best-known species of hamster is the golden or Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus
auratus), which is the type most commonly kept as pets. It is also sometimes cal
led a "fancy" hamster. The pet trade and fanciers have given names to several co
lor variations, including "honey bear", "panda bear", "black bear", "European bl
ack bear", "polar bear", "teddy bear", and "Dalmatian".[14][user-generated sourc
e] Several variations, including long-haired varieties, grow hair several centim
eters long and often require special care. British zoologist Leonard Goodwin cla
imed most hamsters kept in the United Kingdom were descended from the colony he
introduced for medical research purposes during the Second World War.[15]
Other hamsters kept as pets are the various species of "dwarf hamster". Campbell
's dwarf hamster (Phodopus campbelli) is the most common they are also sometimes c
alled "Russian dwarfs"; however, many hamsters are from Russia, so this ambiguou
s name does not distinguish them from other species appropriately. The coat of t
he Djungarian or winter-white Russian dwarf hamster (Phodopus sungorus) turns al
most white during winter (when the hours of daylight decrease).[2] The Roborovsk
i hamster (Phodopus roborovskii) is extremely small and fast, making it difficul
t to keep as a pet.[1] The Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus), although not te
chnically a true "dwarf hamster", is the only hamster with a prehensile tail (ab
out 4 cm long)[citation needed] most hamsters have very short, nonprehensile tails
.
Many breeders also show their hamsters, so breed towards producing a good, healt
hy, show hamster with a view to keeping one or two themselves, so quality and te
mperament are of vital importance when planning the breeding.
A sable, short-haired golden hamster
A Russian dwarf hamster
A Roborovski hamster
Hamster shows
Main article: Hamster show
A hamster show is an event in which people gather hamsters to judge them against
each other.[16] Hamster shows are also places where people share their enthusia
sm for hamsters among attendees. Hamster shows feature an exhibition of the hams
ters participating in the judging.[16]
The judging of hamsters usually includes a goal of promoting hamsters which conf
orm to natural or established varieties of hamsters.[17] By awarding hamsters wh
ich match standard hamster types, hamster shows encourage planned and careful ha
mster breeding.[17]
Classification
Taxonomists generally disagree about the most appropriate placement of the subfa
mily Cricetinae within the superfamily Muroidea. Some place it in a family Crice
tidae that also includes voles, lemmings, and New World rats and mice; others gr
oup all these into a large family called Muridae. Their evolutionary history is
recorded by 15 extinct fossil genera and extends back 11.2 million to 16.4 milli

on years to the Middle Miocene Epoch in Europe and North Africa; in Asia it exte
nds 6 million to 11 million years. Four of the seven living genera include extin
ct species. One extinct hamster of Cricetus, for example, lived in North Africa
during the Middle Miocene, but the only extant member of that genus is the Europ
ean or common hamster of Eurasia.
Subfamily Cricetinae
Genus Allocricetulus
Species A. curtatus Mongolian hamster
Species A. eversmanni Eversmann's or Kazakh hamster
Genus Cansumys
Species C. canus Gansu hamster
Genus Cricetulus
Species C. alticola Tibetan dwarf or Ladak hamster
Species C. barabensis, including "C. pseudogriseus" and "C. obscurus" Chinese stri
ped hamster, also called Chinese hamster; striped dwarf hamster
Species C. griseus Chinese (dwarf) hamster, also called rat hamster
Species C. kamensis Kam dwarf hamster or Tibetan hamster
Species C. longicaudatus long-tailed dwarf hamster
Species C. migratorius gray dwarf hamster, Armenian hamster, migratory grey hamste
r; grey hamster; migratory hamster
Species C. sokolovi Sokolov's dwarf hamster
Genus Cricetus
Species C. cricetus European hamster, also called common hamster or black-bellied
field hamster
Genus Mesocricetus golden hamsters
Species M. auratus golden or Syrian hamster
Species M. brandti Turkish hamster, also called Brandt's hamster; Azerbaijani hams
ter
Species M. newtoni Romanian hamster
Species M. raddei Ciscaucasian hamster
Genus Phodopus dwarf hamsters
Species P. campbelli Campbell's dwarf hamster
Species P. roborovskii Roborovski hamster
Species P. sungorus Djungarian hamster or winter-white Russian dwarf hamster
Genus Tscherskia
Species T. triton greater long-tailed hamster, also called Korean hamster
Relationships among hamster species
Neumann et al. (2006) conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis of 12 of the a
bove 17 species using DNA sequence from three genes: 12S rRNA, cytochrome b, and
von Willebrand factor. They uncovered the following relationships:[18]
Phodopus group
The genus Phodopus was found to represent the earliest split among hamsters. The
ir analysis included both species. The results of another study[19] suggest Cric
etulus kamensis (and presumably the related C. alticola) might belong to either
this Phodopus group or hold a similar basal position.
Mesocricetus group
The genus Mesocricetus also forms a clade. Their analysis included all four spec
ies, with M. auratus and M. raddei forming one subclade and M. brandti and M. ne
wtoni another.
Remaining genera
The remaining genera of hamsters formed a third major clade. Two of the three sa
mpled species within Cricetulus represent the earliest split. This clade contain
s C. barabensis (and presumably the related C. sokolovi) and C. longicaudatus.
Miscellaneous
The remaining clade contains members of Allocricetulus, Tscherskia, Cricetus, an

d C. migratorius. Allocricetulus and Cricetus were sister taxa. Cricetulus migra

torius was their next closest relative, and Tscherskia was basal.
Similar animals
Some similar rodents sometimes called "hamsters" are not currently classified in
the hamster subfamily Cricetinae. These include the maned hamster, or crested h
amster, which is really the maned rat (Lophiomys imhausi). Others are the mouselike hamsters (Calomyscus spp.), and the white-tailed rat (Mystromys albicaudatu
s).
See also
Chinchilla
Ebichu
Gerbil
Guinea pig
Hampster Dance
Hamster racing
Hamster wheel
Hamtaro
Rat
References
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Jump up ^ Patricia Pope Bartlett (2003). The Hamster Handbook. Barron's Educatio
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Merriam-Webster.com
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Jump up ^ Gattermann, R., Fritzsche, P., Neumann, K., Al-Hussein, I., Kayser, A.
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External links