How hamsters breed in nature. The history of the origin of hamsters

Each pet store has a spacious cage with different types of hamsters to choose from. Small rodents are a very popular pet due to their easy care and maintenance. But few people know that they recently came to our house from the wild. Some of their varieties still live only in natural conditions. For example, an ordinary hamster.

The habitat of the common hamster

An ordinary hamster chooses places with a sufficient amount of food for settlement: steppes, forest-steppe, meadow meadows and even the foothills of mountainous regions (up to 1000 m above sea level). The rodent especially loves the neighborhood with humans and cultural plantings, often causing serious harm to agriculture.

The habitat of this species of hamsters is quite extensive. It can be found in the Urals, Altai, in the southern Black Sea regions, Krasnoyarsk and on the border with China. Outside of Russia, it is distributed in the Kazakh steppes and in European countries up to the border of Belgium and France. In general, the populations of the common hamster are quite extensive, but in some regions of Russia it is listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. In European countries, this individual is also under protection, largely due to its unusual color and high popularity in the fur trade.

External features of an ordinary hamster

This rodent is one of the largest representatives of this species. The length without a tail reaches 30 cm, there is a conical rigid tail with short bristles measuring 5-8 cm. The hamster weighs 400-700 grams.

Otherwise, the appearance differs little from dwarf individuals: an elongated muzzle with small round ears, soft thick hair, roomy cheek pouches, low paws with toes and sharp claws. A distinctive feature is the color. The back of the common hamster is brown-gray, the nose, muzzle and legs are white, and the abdomen and breast are black. There are clear white spots on the sides and behind the ears. It is because of their bright color that they are often the object of hunting. In the photos taken in different regions of the animal's habitat, you can see the difference in its color depending on the place of residence. There are also completely black varieties, as well as black and white with small gray blotches.

Natural habits

In the wild, hamsters are solitary. They build long, deep, tiered burrows with multiple storehouses for winter supplies, summer and winter nests, and many entrances and exits. Rodents mark their territories and keep other hamsters out of them. The animals unite only during the mating period on the territory of the female, after which the male quickly leaves her, since the female can be quite aggressive if the “boyfriend” lingers too long and can attack him. Only the female carries and brings up the young.

The hamster is a nocturnal inhabitant, during the day he sleeps and sits in his burrow, and with the onset of dusk he goes out to hunt, dines abundantly, fills his cheeks with supplies for future use and transfers them to the pantry. They do not know the exact amount of supplies, which will be enough for the whole winter, so he stuffs into his pantry exactly as much as he manages before the first frost, and then goes into hibernation. On average, about 10 kilograms of various kinds of food are stored in its "barns". They found pantries of hamsters with reserves of more than 50 kg, most likely, these were the accumulations of several years of life. It is noteworthy that the animal adds different types of food separately. So in one hole you can find different types of grain: wheat, oats, buckwheat, corn, lupine, vegetables and root crops and roots - this is what the common hamster eats in a long winter.

The rodent carefully protects its supplies from other animals and relatives, is able to enter into a fight. When irritated, it stands on its hind legs, bares its strong teeth and prepares to jump. An ordinary hamster jumps well and runs quickly when escaping from the enemy, but in a calm state it moves slowly. Due to its activity, it is able to live up to 8 years.

The natural diet of a common hamster

An ordinary hamster is absolutely unpretentious in nutrition. Its diet depends on its habitat. The basis of the diet is cereals, herbs and roots, loves animals and roots from the human garden. He eats with pleasure the larvae of insects, lizards, frogs and even small rodents, for example, mice. The stomach is very strong and able to digest any food.

Reproduction in nature

Although an ordinary hamster is a loner, it reproduces rather quickly. Mating season lasts from April to August. The male finds the female by smell, fertilizes her and leaves the territory. The female's pregnancy lasts a little over two weeks.

Cubs are born blind and naked, and by the age of two weeks they begin to become covered with fur and open their eyes. The female feeds them with milk for three weeks, then transfers them to natural food. At the age of 4-5 weeks, the cubs leave the mother's nest and build their burrows. Over the summer, the female is able to bring 2-3 litters of 7-12 cubs each.

Females from the first litter by the end of summer already acquire their offspring. Thus, the population can grow very quickly under favorable conditions.

Common hamster at home

The price of animals in the store is low, but it is unlikely that you can find an ordinary hamster in them, as this is an unusual pet for the house. Although the maintenance of such an animal does not cause any particular difficulties, not many will dare to take a wild animal home.

You will need a large, reliable cage for housing. Due to its larger size compared to domestic individuals, it needs more space to move. A running wheel is required. If the average hamster does not have enough movement, he will greatly recover and may become ill.

Care consists in maintaining cleanliness in the cage, providing proper nutrition. The hamster needs to be provided with enough material for arranging the nest and pantry, it can be white paper, sawdust, pieces of fur. To change the litter and clean the cage, the animal must be transplanted from it into a container, since the rodent will not let strangers into its territory and can bite strongly. The description of his life in nature tells us about his warlike nature, and even domesticated animals still remain savages.

In nutrition, an ordinary hamster is completely unpretentious. At home, it is possible to feed the pet with products from the home table. But one should not forget that it is desirable to bring it closer to the natural one: to give more grain (homemade cereals are also suitable: buckwheat, millet, rice), raw and cooked root vegetables, boiled meat. You should not feed your hamster too spicy and spicy food, as well as sweets. Sugar is very harmful to animals, their body cannot cope with the processing of large amounts of glucose.

Breeding a common hamster at home is not a good idea. In nature, this animal does not live for couples, and will not tolerate this in captivity. The grizzlies should be kept in different cages, they can be combined only at the time of mating and monitor this process in order to isolate the male in time, until the female begins to get angry and attacked him. After 4-5 weeks after birth, small hamsters need to be removed from the mother, preferably in different cages. If left to live together, conflicts and fights are inevitable.

Relationship with a person

Even if the hamster was born at home, he will not become a tame animal. For him, man is, first of all, another beast that encroaches on his territory. An ordinary hamster is not afraid of large predators and without fear will rush at anyone who disturb him. At home, it can only become a funny object for observation.

In the wild, the common hamster is an enemy of human cultivated plantations and a carrier of infections. Despite the fact that in some regions it is listed in the Red Book, in places of its proximity to humans, it is subject to destruction.

At home, a hamster will live 2-4 years and will delight the inhabitants with its bright color and natural spontaneity.

General appearance

The family includes small, densely built rodents with short limbs, small ears, and short tails. Body length varies from 5 to 34 cm, tail from 0.7 to 10 cm. Females in some species are larger than males. The color of the dense fur on the back is from ash-or brownish-gray to dark brown-ocher; on the belly - black, white or gray. Sometimes a black stripe runs along the back. There are very developed cheek pouches.

Spreading

Inhabitants of the Palaearctic; are found in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, Syria, Iran, Siberia, Mongolia, northern China and Korea. They live mainly in open arid landscapes - forest-steppes, steppes, semi-deserts and deserts; in the mountains they occur at an altitude of up to 3,600 m. They also inhabit anthropogenic landscapes - fields, gardens.

Lifestyle

Land animals; some species swim well, drawing air into their cheek pouches. They live alone, dig complex burrows. They do not fall into real hibernation, but they can fall into a prolonged torpor. They feed on plant and animal food, mainly seeds. Many species store food reserves, sometimes up to 90 kg (for example, the common hamster).

Reproduction

Very fertile, they bring 2-4 litters per year. Pregnancy lasts 15-22 days. The litter contains from 1 to 18 cubs, which reach sexual maturity by 6-8 weeks. Life expectancy in nature is 1-3 years, in captivity - about 3 years. Hamsters are hunted by numerous predators, including the red and black kite, buzzard, lesser spotted eagle, fox, ermine and badger. Young animals are attacked by kestrels, gray herons, black crows, and rooks.

Classification

This small subfamily includes 19 species belonging to 6 (7) genera:

• Subfamily Cricetinae
  • Genus Medium Hamsters ( Mesocricetus)
    • Syrian hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus) popular as a pet,
    • Brandt's hamster ( Mesocricetus brandti),
    • Hamster Radde ( Mesocricetus raddei),
    • Newton's hamster ( Mesocricetus newtoni),
  • Genus Upland hamsters ( Phodopus)
    • Dzungarian hamster ( Phodopus sungorus),
    • Campbell's Hamster ( Phodopus campbelli),
    • Roborovsky hamster ( Phodopus roborovskii),
  • Genus Cricetus
    • Common hamster ( Cricetus cricetus),
  • Genus Gray hamsters ( Cricetulus)
    • Short-tailed hamster ( Cricetulus alticola),
    • Baraba hamster ( Cricetulus barabensis),
    • Tibetan hamster ( Cricetulus kamensis),
    • Long-tailed hamster ( Cricetulus longicaudatus),
    • Gray hamster ( Cricetulus migratorius),
    • Sokolov's hamster ( Cricetulus sokolovi)
  • Rod Eversman hamsters ( Allocricetulus)
    • Mongolian hamster ( Allocricetulus curtatus),
    • Eversman's Hamster ( Allocricetulus eversmanni)
  • Genus Cansumys
    • Kansk hamster ( Cansumys canus)
  • Genus Tscherskia
    • Rat hamster ( Tscherskia triton)

Conservation status

Some species cause serious harm to agriculture by eating legumes and grains. They are a natural reservoir of pathogens of a number of infectious diseases. Some types of skins are harvested. Hamsters are used as laboratory animals and are kept in captivity as pets.

The Syrian hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus) and Newton's hamster ( Mesocricetus newtoni).

In Russia, there are 12 species of hamsters belonging to 6 genera: rat hamsters ( Tscherskia), gray hamsters ( Cricetulus), fur-legged hamsters ( Phodopus), medium hamsters ( Mesocricetus), real hamsters ( Cricetus), Eversmann hamsters ( Allocricetulus).

House hamsters

Home hamster.

Notes (edit)

Links

• What to look for when buying a hamster from a breeder

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See what "Hamsters" are in other dictionaries:

Subfamily of mammals of the order of rodents. Body length 5 36 cm, tail is usually shorter. Most are burrowing. Herbivorous. About 390 species. Distributed all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica and some islands. Carriers of a number of infections. ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Hamsters- HAMSERS, a family of rodents. The body length is from 5 cm to 35-50 cm, the tail is usually shorter. Over 580 species, including voles (muskrat, lemmings, etc.), gerbils, etc. Widely distributed; the largest number of species in America. They live alone in burrows. ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

hamsters- (Cricetinae), a subfamily of rodents of the hamster family. Includes over 60 genera (about 380 species), of which 42 genera (about 250 species) are endemic to Latin America. Body length 6-36 tail 0.7-33 Coloring gray, grayish brown, dark ... Encyclopedic reference book "Latin America"

Subfamily of mammals of the order of rodents. Body length 5 36 cm, tail is usually shorter. OK. 390 species, in Eurasia, South. Africa, North. and mainly to the Center. and Yuzh. America. Carriers of a number of infections. Laboratory animals ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Cricetinae), subfamily of hamsters. Sometimes they stand out in the department. family. 60 80 genera, 380 390 species. They inhabit all continents, except Australia (on the island of Madagascar, a close subfamily of Madagascar X. (Nesomyinae), 7 genera, 10 species), not in the tropics ... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

- (Cricetinae) a subfamily of rodents that is part of the Muridae or mouse family. It is characterized by developed cheek pads and three molars on the lower jaw on each side. These include the genera Cricetus, Saccostomys, Dendromys, etc. ... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

The most famous representative of hamsters is the common hamster. In our article we will consider the features of this type. We will also give advice on keeping such an animal at home.

Description

The body length of an ordinary hamster is no more than 35 cm. The tail of such a rodent is medium, thick at the base, tapering towards the end. Its length is approximately five centimeters. The rodent's ears are covered with darkish thin hairs, relatively short, the muzzle is moderately long.

Above, the color of the common hamster is buffy-brown, monochromatic. The lower part is black. There are light spots on the body. There are the same ones behind the ears. Rather coarse villi are developed on the back.

How much does an ordinary hamster weigh? About six hundred to seven hundred grams.

Where does the hamster live? Lifestyle

The rodent is widespread in the forest-steppe, meadow-steppe and steppes of central and southern Europe. In the mountains, an ordinary hamster does not rise above 1500 meters above sea level.

This representative of the fauna leads a twilight lifestyle. He digs complex, deep enough holes. They are usually solitary. There are at least two entrances in a completed hamster burrow. There are times when their number reaches ten. In the burrow, in addition to living cells, there are pantries for supplies. Sometimes a hamster can occupy a gopher's burrow.

Rodent nutrition in nature

What does a common hamster eat in the wild? It feeds on both generative and vegetative parts of plants. In the fall, he begins to consume tubers and seeds. He also stores this food for the winter. Moreover, he prepares a lot of food - about ten to fifteen kilograms. Also in stocks there may be:

• peas;
• dried, selected grain;
• lupine;
• millet;
• potato;
• corn
• and other.

The rodent folds seeds of different varieties separately from each other.

In addition to plant food, the common hamster eats food of animal origin.

Rodent reproduction

The rodent breeds two or three times a year. This usually happens from April to July. On average there are ten hamsters in one litter. The largest number of cubs is twenty. Twenty days after birth, small rodents open their eyes. After which they switch to self-catering. Toddlers begin to eat seeds and grass.

Hibernation of a common hamster

The activity of these rodents decreases in October. During this period, they go into hibernation holes. Their winter sleep is different from that of gophers. In common hamsters, it is intermittent. He can wake up when the temperature outside gets over twenty degrees.

Measures for the protection of this species

The common hamster is under the protection of the Berne Convention. The Red Book is a document on the pages of which there are endangered and endangered animals. The common hamster is listed in the Red Book of the Lipetsk region.

Keeping rodents at home: pros and cons

Can an ordinary hamster live at home? Yes. But when keeping such a beast, various difficulties may arise. For example, these rodents hibernate. They can also gnaw on shoes, furniture, and when they grow up, aggression, and unreasonable, is not excluded. Sometimes an unpleasant odor is emitted from the cage where animals are kept. This happens if you do not clean up after the pet for a long time.

1. An ordinary hamster is a fairly quiet animal that quickly forgets offenses.

2. The rodent lends itself well to training.

3. An animal can go without water for quite a long period of time if fed with juicy food. But it is still better to put a drinker in the cage, and not experiment with the pet.

4. Breeds well in captivity.

Feeding a common hamster. What should be in a rodent's diet?

An ordinary domestic hamster is unpretentious in food. In his diet should be present different grains, you can give him dried bread.

Fish oil can be added to feed at 0.1 g.

It is worth adding vitamins A, E and D in oil to wet food or drink (one drop for each individual). Raw meat can be given in small amounts. Vegetables and fruits should also be added to the diet.

You can purchase special food for hamsters at the pet store.

In no case should you give your pet: fatty, fried, salty, smoked, baked. Even a piece of chocolate can be dangerous for a small pet. If you want to treat your hamster with something, then pay attention to fruits and vegetables.

Cell. What should be there?

The cage should be spacious. It must be made of metal. Wooden dwellings will not work as the hamsters will chew on it. Do not let your pet out of the cage unattended, as he himself decides what to taste. For example, this could be your shoes, your favorite blanket, and so on.

There must be a dark corner in the cage. The hamster will make a nest in it. In a bright corner, equip your pet with a toilet. There will be a pantry near the nest, on the opposite side of the toilet.

A healthy regular hamster is constantly busy with his home, so help him. To do this, cover the cage with soft, fine sawdust. To equip the nest, the rodent will need soft paper, cardboard.

House and nest

To stay in a secluded place during the daytime, the animal will need a house. It can be purchased at a pet store.

You can take a cardboard box and make a house out of it. It is worth making two large side holes in it. The box should be large enough, about 15x15x15 cm.
You can also use a broken clay pot, turned upside down, as a house. Inside it, the pet independently equips housing.

Toilet and wheel

Never clean rodents will pollute the home. Clean the rodent's toilet thoroughly.

It is worth cleaning the cage itself once or twice a week.

A hamster needs a wheel to keep fit. Without daily jogging, the animal becomes indifferent to those around it, quickly becomes decrepit. Rodents that do not run in a wheel lose attractiveness, become lethargic, and gain excess weight.

Critters desperately need a wheel. After all, if they do not sleep and do not eat, then they are sure to run. Although they become less active with age, they sleep more.

It is desirable that there are two wheels - one inside the cage, the other outside it. The latter will be convenient if the room in which the rodent lives is extremely small. Note that the outer wheel is more of a hassle than the inner one. Since you need to create cleanliness under the wheel. In addition, it is easier for a rodent to get out of such a structure.
It's easy to even make your own inner wheel. Although it is better to purchase a ready-made one. It is inexpensive. But it will fully correspond to the parameters of a rodent.

Wild hamsters are pretty dangerous animals. Hamsters, like other pets, live not only in cages, but also live everywhere in the wild. All of them belong to the order Rodents.

Funny fat-cheeked animals belong to the Hamsters subfamily. They were discovered by researchers in different regions of the earth. Hamsters inhabit countries of Europe, Asia. Found everywhere in Siberia, Iran, Syria... They live in both Americas and Africa.

Since the 18th - 19th centuries, many zoologists began to show interest in these animals. They described not only the different species characteristic of each of the territories, but also studied their way of life in detail.

Today, there are 7 genera of these animals, which include about 20 species.

Hamsters are most common in dry climates steppe and forest-steppe zones. They also exist in deserts, semi-deserts, and penetrate into forests. Some species live quite high, up to 3.5 thousand meters above sea level. Very often they choose places near agricultural fields and gardens.

These animals are adapted to live in the rather harsh and cold climate of Siberia, the Far East, northern China, and in the arid and hot conditions of the deserts and semi-deserts of southern Africa.

Long deep burrows allow these animals to survive both severe cold and unbearable heat.

Appearance

The color is varied, but brown and yellow are more common. All hamsters have a rather dense body, 5 to 30 cm long. The head is proportional to the body, the ears are small, rounded, covered with sparse hair, the eyes are medium-sized, convex, shiny.

All species of these animals have tails, only some of them have a length of no more than 5-7 mm, while in others it exceeds 7-8 cm. The body is covered with wool, its color and length depends on the species of the rodent.

In some species, sexual dimorphism is well pronounced and females are somewhat larger than representatives of the opposite sex.

On the sides of the head of hamsters are muscle cavities, which open from the inside of the cheeks. These are called cheek pouches or cheek pouches.

These bags are suitable for temporary storage or transport of feed.

Lifestyle

Pantry. Despite the ability to swim well, hamsters are terrestrial. They live alone, building rather deep burrows. The male and female spend very little time together during the mating season.

Rodents are adapted to store food supplies, which help to survive the cold season and adverse weather conditions. In winter, hamsters go into torpor or short-term hibernation. Full-fledged long hibernation is not typical for them.

Hamsters sleep during the day. Their period of activity begins at dusk and continues at night. This way of life helps rodents to avoid attacks by ground predators and birds of prey.

Rodents feed mainly on plant foods. However, they do not hesitate to eat both insects and carrion. Large species are able to hunt small animals.

Behavior

Hamsters are cautious and even cowardly. The behavior of rodents is subject to the instinct of self-preservation. Lonely habits are inherent in these rodents. They do not create groups within a population. All hamsters exhibit territorial behavior and protect their homes from congeners. Hamsters never live in families.

Males form short-term communities near the female's dwelling for the courtship period. During this time, they demonstrate contented behavior, which is aimed at suppressing the aggressiveness of the partner and keeping her from fleeing.

The secret of special glands, with which the male marks the territory, makes the female more tolerant of courtship.

Reproduction

The family is out for a walk. Sexual maturity occurs at one and a half to two months. After the female has accepted the courtship of the partner, the couple retires into the hole. Together they spend about 20 to 24 hours. After 17 - 20 days, blind and completely naked cubs are born.

Usually there are 5-8 of them in a litter. Although one hamster can be born, and 18. Hamsters grow quickly. After seven days, the body is covered with fluff, which is replaced by fur on the 10-11th day, and on the 14th day, their eyes open and they begin to actively move.

During the warm season, one female in natural conditions can bring 2-3 litters. There are cases of winter breeding.

Features of various types

Popular domestic hamsters also have relatives in the wild.

Dzungarian hamsters

Dzungarian hamsters. Where live? Distribution area:

• Western Siberia;
• Khakassia;
• Northern Kazakhstan.

Body sizes from 8 to 10 cm, tail length 15 - 18 ml. The color of the coat is brown, gray in different shades. The further east you go, the smaller and lighter these animals are.

A dark brown or black stripe runs along the ridge. Lives in burrows with two or three winter cells. It feeds on plant food, insects and their larvae. Accumulates a substantial amount of subcutaneous fat by the beginning of winter. Breeds from April to October. Can produce up to 5 litters per year.

Belongs to the genus Uplifted hamsters.

Rat hamster

It is named so because of its long tail. It gives it a rat-like appearance. Inhabits the territory:

• Primorsky Territory;
• in China;
• In Korea.

The color of the coat is brown, with a dark awn. The tail is covered with sparse hairs, very often has a white tip. There is a white speck on the chest of the animal. It prefers to settle along river banks and in floodplain meadows.

Fodder movements during the ripening period of seeds and grain crops, such as oats, soybeans, sunflowers, and corn, are characteristic. In addition to permanent burrows, it can also have temporary ones. In winter, it clogs in a hole and closes the entrance with an earthen plug. The amount of winter stocks can exceed 20 kg.

Common hamster

A rodent with a body length up to 30 cm and a tail up to 3-5 cm. The tail is thick, covered with wool. The color is bright, tricolor. Light spots are separated by patches of dark fur. In the wild, there are: Rodent dwelling.

• in European countries;
• in the European part of Russia;
• in the Urals;
• in Siberia;
• in the foothills of the Caucasus;
• in Altai.

He settles near the dwellings of people, agricultural land, penetrates into the forest zone. They dig deep holes with many exits.

Syrian hamster

Belongs to the genus of medium hamsters. In natural nature, it lives in Syria and Turkey. Body length 12-14 cm, tail 15 mm.

The color of the coat is golden or reddish-brown, the belly is lighter. It feeds not only on seeds and grain, readily eats ants, larvae wasps and flies. They live in burrows, when the temperature drops to -4, it falls into a daze.

Syrian, Dzungarian and some other types of hamsters are popular in indoor keeping.

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Hamster facts

Cheek pouches help hamsters to overcome water obstacles. Filled with air, they increase the buoyancy of the animal.

Chinese peasants in lean years try to find pantries of hamsters and get up to 10 - 20 kg of grain from them.

Wild hamsters carry dangerous infectious and viral diseases such as rabies and plague.

An amazing animal lives in Africa - a shaggy hamster. From the point of view of zoology, a rodent is closer to mice, and in appearance, especially in a moment of danger, it resembles a porcupine. Can live in trees. Has a special gland with poisonous contents, which shoots at attacking enemies. Despite the name, it has little in common with the usual hamsters.

On the basis of wild species, many decorative species and varieties have been obtained. Most of them are successfully bred in captivity. Nice appearance, easy to keep made these rodents popular pets.

In contact with

Common hamster is a very good animal. In the past, it was quite widespread in the territory from Belgium to the north of Russia.
Basic data:
SIZE
Length: 20-27 cm, tail 5-7 cm.
Weight: 220-450 g.

REPRODUCTION
Puberty: Females become sexually mature at 2.5-3 months.
Mating season: from April to October.
Pregnancy 16 days.
Number of cubs: 4-20.
Lactation: 3 weeks.

LIFESTYLE
Habits: loner; digs kind and sophisticated holes with numerous cameras.
Food: grains, vegetables, leaves, insects, invertebrates.
Life expectancy: up to 4 years.

Related species
Many species are known that belong to the Hamster family. Common hamster- the only representative of its kind.

The common hamster, unlike its close relative, the Western Asian hamster, which is often kept as a pet, lives in freedom. The common hamster has very short limbs, so it seems that the animal is crawling.
FOOD
The hamster feeds mainly on plant foods - grasses, clover, alfalfa, peas and lentils, grains, flowers, seeds and tubers. He does not disdain insects, other invertebrates, and often can even bite with a mouse. Lizards, chicks and frogs are also present in the hamster's diet. This rodent is active mainly at night. If a lot of hamsters appear in any area, then as a result of a lack of food, some of the animals move to new territories and establish new settlements there.
During migration, hamsters are not stopped even by large rivers - their animals overcome by swimming. Closer to autumn, hamsters diligently fill their pantries with various supplies. They stock up on grain, potatoes, carrots, corn and other foods. The hamster carries food in cheek pouches. Having stuffed the cheek pouches with grain or other products, he walks, supporting them with his front paws. In the pantry, he scoops food out of his cheek pouches with his paws.
LIFESTYLE
Common hamster- a very cute little animal. This animal is rather large (the hamster reaches the size of a large rat). Despite the hamster's special predilection for dry, sandy soils (in the steppe and forest-steppe regions), where he easily digs underground burrows for himself, the hamster is also found in meadows and in agricultural areas. These rodents also live in mountainous areas up to an altitude of 500 m above sea level. The hamster behaves like a good host. At different times of the year, the hamster digs different burrows. In older burrows, located closer to the surface, there is a pantry and nests. Winter burrows of hamsters are deep underground. They have storage rooms and dormitories in which the animals spend the winter.
Hamsters line the chambers in the burrow with fresh grass. The owner changes the bedding regularly. In winter, the hamster hibernates.
REPRODUCTION
Hamster mating period starts in April and lasts until October. Often during this time, the female brings two or even three offspring. Around April, male hamsters appear in female burrows. This is where the animals mate. Immediately after mating, the male leaves the female. Females bring quite numerous offspring. 16 days after mating in the nesting chamber, from 4 to even 20 cubs are born (more often 10 children are born). Newborns weigh about 4-6 grams. However, after a week, children gradually begin to eat solid foods as well, such as grass. The eyes of the cubs open at the age of two weeks. Around this time, they become covered with thick hair.
Despite the fact that the cubs spend very little time with their mother, they develop very quickly. If the babies are in danger, the female immediately transfers them to a safe place. She pushes the cubs into the cheek pouches. Female hamsters become sexually mature at the age of 2.5-3 months. Therefore, often young females from the first litter to the end of summer already have their children.
HAMSTER AND MAN
In most of its range, the hamster is considered a malicious pest of agriculture, since, in addition to roots, grass and clover, it collects grain, peas, corn, as well as seeds and fruits of other cultivated plants. The hamster makes reserves for the winter from potato tubers, grain and sugar beets.
In areas where the hamster is very harmful to agricultural fields, they resort to extermination. Common hamsters are hunted for their fur. Do this with specially trained dogs.

OR YOU KNOW THAT ...

When the hamster completely fills its cheek pouches with food, they hang down to the animal's shoulders.
A common hamster is a skilled swimmer... It is believed that while swimming, he is helped by air-filled cheek pouches.
The common hamster belongs to the Hamster family. This genus, in turn, is part of the order of rodents.
The hamster belongs to one of the most studied species. The first scientific works describing this species were made back in 1774.
The total mass of the hamster's reserves reaches 10-20 kg. However, there is information about the grain barn of this rodent, the weight of which was 60 and even 90 kg. In pantries, in addition to grain, there may be roots, pods with peas and corn.

COAT: yellow or reddish brown with black undercoat. There is a black and white pattern on the body.
Cheek pouches: in them, ordinary hamsters carry grain, corn and carrots into the ward, making supplies for the winter.

LIVING PLACE
Common hamster occurs in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of southern Europe, Western Siberia, Northern Kazakhstan and east to the Yenisei. In some places, the animal also finds its way to the northern regions.
PRESERVATION
Despite the fact that in many areas the hamster is exterminated as a pest, due to its extreme fertility, the species is not threatened with extinction.