Pet Owner's Guide to the Hamster [antikvár]

Introducing The Hamster H . amsters belong to the rodent family and are so called because of their habit of hoarding food - the word 'hamster' is derived from the German word 'hamstern', meaning 'to hoard'. They are nocturnal by nature and in the wild they live in burrows consisting of tunnels and chambers. They avoid the heat of the day by sleeping in their burrows, and foraging for food during the cooler evenings and nights. Most species of hamster have expandable cheekpouches in which they can collect and carry food and bedding, and they may travel many miles collecting food each night, returning to their burrows and emptying it into their food store. Some species of hamster, such as the Syrian Hamster, can carry up to half their body weight in food in their cheekpouches. There are 27 species and subspecies of hamster found in different countries and habitats. with the majority living in semi-desert areas, but not all are kept as pets. The species most commonly kept as pets are, in descending order, the Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus Auratus), sometimes referred to as the Golden (short-haired) or Teddybear (long-haired) Hamster; the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster (Phodopus Sungoris CampbeUi); the Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster (Phodopus Sungoris Sungoris), sometimes referred to as the Djungarian or Siberian Hamster; the Chinese Hamster (Cricetulus Griseus), and the Roborovski Hamster (Phodopus Roborovskii). HISTORY Syrian Hamster: The Syrian Hamster originates from the desert areas of Syria and was first recorded by George Waterhouse, Curator of the London Zoological Society, when he presented the 'new' species to