25 Facts About Hamsters

You probably did not know these 25 Hamster Facts. After watching this, you will know.

Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 19 species classified in 7 genera.

Hamsters have certainly become established as popular small house pets. The best-known species of hamster is the golden or Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), which is the type most commonly kept as pets. Other hamster species commonly kept as pets are the 3 species of dwarf hamster, Campbell's dwarf hamster (Phodopus campbelli), the winter white dwarf hamster (Phodopus sungorus) and the Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii).

Hamsters are more crepuscular (appearing or active in twilight) than nocturnal. In the wild, hamsters remain underground during the day to avoid being caught by predators. Hamsters feed primarily on seeds, fruits, and vegetation, and will occasionally eat burrowing insects. Physically, they are stout-bodied with distinguishing features that include elongated cheek pouches extending to their shoulders, which they use to carry food back to their burrows. Hamsters also have a short tail and fur-covered feet.

"Hamsters are near-sighted" - now that's interesting. I thought my hamster was staring at me from a far distance, but I might have been wrong. Hamsters, with their large protruding eyes, are nearsighted.

Hamsters have good hearing. The hamster compensates for its nearsightedness with a heightened sense of hearing. They are able to hear a wide range of sounds, including even ultrasonic frequencies, which amazingly allow them to communicate without other animals hearing them.

Some hamsters live in the wild in wild hamster habitats. The first hamsters were discovered in Syria, though they also live in Greece, Romania, Belgium and northern China. In the wild, hamsters like to live in warm, dry areas, like steppes, sand dunes and the edges of deserts.

Something weird: why is it illegal to own a hamster in California? The ban is due to the fear of a new invasive species population. If a hamster was to start populating in California it could quickly breed out of control. They could also harm certain native plants and animals.

Most of the time, pet hamsters will just entertain themselves. Rarely, hamsters may be trying to escape because their cage is too small or for other reasons. Sometimes hamsters will try to gnaw their way out.

Never allow your hamster to run loose around the rooms of your house. Hamsters can crawl through very small spaces. Even in what appears to be a well-sealed room, the hamster could escape and never be seen again, unfortunately.