The Syrian hamster goes by many names ranging from Teddy Bear
Hamsters, Fancy Hamster, Long Haired Hamster for the hairy ones to Alien
Hamster, Black Bear and European Black Bear for the hairless ones.
As their name indicates, Syrian hamsters are from Syria. Because of the cold temperatures in Syria, Syrian hamsters are genetically programmed to go into hibernation for a couple of months.
During hibernation, hamsters go into a dormant state, where to fight the winter's cold, their body temperature reduces, metabolic rate decreases and they almost seem dead. Since they are so small, it can be troubling for a breeder to keep tabs on whether the hamster is alive or has died in its sleep. The real fact is, hamsters cannot die that easily as long as they are well protected. The important thing to keep in mind is, the temperature needs to be around 16 degrees centigrade as far as possible and there should be adequate food supply in the hamster's house.
There are several websites which give detailed information about Syrian hamsters. Some of the common facts about them are, Syrian hamsters are really small in size and are approximately 6-7 inches long with short tails. The fore foot has 4 toes while the rear feet have five toes. Syrian hamsters have pouches in their mouths in which they carry food. Whether you believe this or not, they can carry half their body weight as food in their cheek pouches.
Some additional hamster information which
breeders need to be aware of is that these small animals are very
territorial and hence very quarrelsome with intruders. Because of this,
they have to be separated from other hamsters by the time they are eight
to ten weeks old. Syrian hamsters are solitary animals and putting them
in the company of another hamster can result in some solid fighting and
even death in some cases. Thus, breeding won't happen naturally and you
will have to play matchmaker for your hamster. This isn't too difficult
as the sexual season for a hamster occurs every four days and lasts for
anywhere between 14 - 18 hours. During this time, the hamster won't be
quarrelsome and the two can be brought together. If you are not sure
whether your hamster is in a receptive or `oestrus period', stroke your
pet hamster's tail. If she freezes on the spot and flattens her body
while lifting her tail, then you can conclude that your hamster is in
the season.
If you are a refrigerator raider at night, and you peep in to check out on your hamster in the night, don't be surprised if you catch it snacking or prowling around inside its house. This is because Syrian hamsters are nocturnal creatures and while they do remain awake during day time, they are basically creatures of the night.
As their name indicates, Syrian hamsters are from Syria. Because of the cold temperatures in Syria, Syrian hamsters are genetically programmed to go into hibernation for a couple of months.
During hibernation, hamsters go into a dormant state, where to fight the winter's cold, their body temperature reduces, metabolic rate decreases and they almost seem dead. Since they are so small, it can be troubling for a breeder to keep tabs on whether the hamster is alive or has died in its sleep. The real fact is, hamsters cannot die that easily as long as they are well protected. The important thing to keep in mind is, the temperature needs to be around 16 degrees centigrade as far as possible and there should be adequate food supply in the hamster's house.
There are several websites which give detailed information about Syrian hamsters. Some of the common facts about them are, Syrian hamsters are really small in size and are approximately 6-7 inches long with short tails. The fore foot has 4 toes while the rear feet have five toes. Syrian hamsters have pouches in their mouths in which they carry food. Whether you believe this or not, they can carry half their body weight as food in their cheek pouches.
If you are a refrigerator raider at night, and you peep in to check out on your hamster in the night, don't be surprised if you catch it snacking or prowling around inside its house. This is because Syrian hamsters are nocturnal creatures and while they do remain awake during day time, they are basically creatures of the night.
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