In often confused with the Chinese hamster and the mouse, is it the same?
In this article from the TekeTrek website, we talk more about its behavior, habitats, and its most important types.
About the Chinese hamster
The Chinese hamster is a mammal from the rodent family.
In the classification of animals, it belongs to the phylum of vertebrates, the class of mammals, the class of rodents, the order of Muridae, the family of Qadaidae, and the family of Qadaidae, which consists of 7 genera, each genus having several species.
- It has short, stocky legs, a short tail, and small ears.
- Its size varies from one species to another, as its length ranges from 5 to 34 cm.
- The color of its fur also varies from one type to another, as some are black, white, grey, brown, yellow, or red.
- In addition, there are types whose fur is multi-colored.
- Its habitat also varies according to the species, as it prefers to live on the outskirts of desert areas and sand dunes where plants grow, in addition to mountainous steppes, river valleys, rocky and wooded hills and plateaus, and you may also find it in agricultural lands.
Hamster behaviors
Hamsters have several behaviors, including: they are active at night and sleep during the day.
- It builds its burrows underground to store food, reproduce, and to protect itself from high temperatures.
- Some types of hamsters are characterized by being social, while others are characterized by isolation and lack of acceptance of other hamsters in their territorial area.
- It can live in very cold areas in the winter, as it spends its time in the burrow sleeping, and wakes up only to eat.
Food for hamsters
- Wild hamsters eat a varied diet of seeds, grains, nuts, plants and insects, while caged hamsters can eat commercial foods supplemented with vitamins and minerals.
- It can also be supplemented with food from home, for example cereals, fruits and vegetables.
The most prominent types of hamsters
Scientists differ in their classification of the number of types of hamsters around the world, but here are the most important types:
Central Asian hamster
There are two types: Mongolian and Kazakh:
- Mongolian hamster:
It lives in China, Mongolia, and the Russian Federation, where you find it in areas of sand dunes, grasslands, or semi-deserts, where it builds burrows with multiple entrances in which it stores seeds. It lives for about one to two years.
- Kazaki hamster:
It likes to live in dry and semi-desert plains, but sometimes it lives in agricultural areas and human settlements. Generally, you find it on the eastern bank of the Volga River, north of Xinjiang, then it passes through the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan.
Females give birth two or three times a year if they live in the north of their habitat, and three to four times if they live in the south of their habitat, as they give birth to 4-6 young each time.
Its diet is diverse. It may eat wild and cultivated plants, insects, and mollusks, in addition to the chicks of small birds, small wild squirrels, lizards, and mice. It lives for about two years.
Kanso hamster
You find it on forest trees whose leaves have fallen in the mountainous regions of some provinces of China, for example: Gansu and Shaanxi.
It eats plant leaves and herbs. It is a nocturnal creature that is active in the spring and summer. It lives for no more than two years, and the female gives birth to about 6 to 8 young each time.
Dwarf hamster
It includes six types, including:
Upper Hamster
It lives in the areas extending from southwest Xinjiang and northwest Tibet to western Nepal and India, as it is adapted to live in several areas, for example: pine and birch forests, desert steppes, high meadows, swamp meadows, and shrublands.
Striped hamster
It is used in biomedical research. The female gives birth to about 5 young at a time. Its back is covered with brown fur that tends to light gray, and a black line extends in the middle of the back longitudinally, while its belly is covered with gray hair that becomes white on its edges, while the color of the ears is black with white tips.
You find it in areas extending from central and northeastern China to Russia, Mongolia, and Korea, and it can also live in agricultural lands.
Tibetan hamster
Its back is covered with fur that is gray to dark brown, sometimes with black spots or stripes, while its belly is covered with white fur that fades to gray, and the sides of the body appear in a wavy color as a result of the contrast between the colors of the back and the belly. It has a white tail with dark stripes. From the top.
You find it in mountain meadows, tree swamps, and open steppes, feeding on grasses, grains, seeds, and insects.
Long-tailed hamster
It lives in the regions extending from northern China to Kazakhstan and Russia, and its weight ranges from 15 to 50 grams. Its back is covered with sandy-yellow fur, or gray tending to dark brown, while its belly is covered with white fur tending to brown.
Turkish hamster
You can find it in the grasslands and shrub areas of Anatolia, the Caucasus, southeastern Dagestan, and northwestern Iran. It relies mainly on grasses and grains for its food.
FAQ
common questions among the most common questions about Chinese hamsters are:
- Do hamsters give birth or lay eggs?
Hamsters reproduce by birth
- Are hamsters a type of rat?
Both hamsters and mice belong to the same order of rodents, but they differ in genus. Hamsters belong to the genus Cricetinae, while mice belong to the genus Rattus.
- How old is a hamster?
Hamsters live for peroid between two to three years.
- Are Chinese hamsters good pets?
Yes, the Chinese hamster is a good pet and is famous for its small size and cuteness.
- Are Chinese hamsters rare?
Chinese hamsters are not rare and can be easily found in local animal markets.
- Are Chinese hamsters calm?
Chinese hamsters are generally calm and can be suitable as a pet for children.
- Is a Chinese hamster a dwarf?
Yes, the Chinese hamster is considered a type of dwarf hamster, because it is distinguished by its small size.
In short, the Chinese hamster is a wild animal, carnivorous, herbivorous, vertebrate, mammal, of the rodent family. It has several species, each of which lives in a specific place.
