Hamsters belong to the rodent family. These are nocturnal animals. The hamster is small in height, about 10 cm. An adult golden hamster reaches a length of approximately 12 - 15 cm and weighs up to 150 grams.

Hamsters are mammals that have incisors - teeth adapted for gnawing.

They give birth to numerous offspring several times a year.

Cubs are born naked and blind, but with well-developed incisors.

After three weeks, the hamsters become independent.

The golden hamster is a very cute animal with a short tail.

The golden hamster came to nature lovers from a laboratory, and its homeland is Syria. There he was discovered in the desert.

Almost 70 years ago, a Syrian zoologist, while on an expedition, accidentally came across a rodent unfamiliar to him, dug up a hole and at a depth of 2.5 meters found a female with cubs. The scientist took the animals with him. Three years later, the females and one male brought him one hundred and fifty offspring. Thus began the triumphant march of hamsters around the world. From the golden hamster of the original color, as a result of breeding, hamsters with different coat colors were raised: spotted, beige, black, gray and blue, as well as albinos.

Habitat of hamsters

There is little shelter on the plain, so in nature hamsters live underground.

Hamsters dig their burrows with numerous connecting passages, several exits and a large number of “rooms”. The rooms are divided into a bedroom, a storage room and a toilet.

Hamsters live together in groups and share work.

The English name for these animals, “hamster,” comes from the German word meaning “to store.”

This is due to the fact that hamsters in the wild do nothing but store food for future use.

At night, hamsters go out in search of food and, having reached the field, eat the ears.

In the cheek pouches, a hamster can carry food weighing half its own.

To shake these reserves out of his cheeks, the hamster presses them with his front paws and blows hard.

Hamsters live in the steppes and feed on seeds and leaves. They serve as food for many animals.

Living conditions of hamsters in captivity

For many animal lovers, keeping hamsters in the house has become as common as keeping cats and dogs. These furry animals bring a lot of pleasure with their habits.

Most often, golden hamsters are taken to live at home.

Djungarian hamster often lives in our apartments. It is half the size of the golden one, and there is a black stripe along the back.

The Djungarian hamster is found naturally in the southern regions of Siberia.

When keeping hamsters at home, you need to remember the following: they must be able to move, otherwise they may experience something like paralysis.

To keep a hamster you need a cage, the walls of which are covered with a fine mesh.

In the cage you need to install different shelves, boards and ladders along which the animals will travel.

The animals should rest in the nest house. It can be a simple box with a small entrance - a hole. The hamster himself equips the house; for this you need to put cotton wool and pieces of paper next to the house, and the hamster drags this building material into the house and builds its nest.

It is advisable to equip the cage with a rotating exercise wheel.

And if there is no such wheel in the cage, it is necessary to let the hamsters out of the cage more often and allow them to run for exercise.

At home, hamsters should be fed with various grains and seeds; they love sunflower seeds and oats; it is good to give sprouted oats so that the animals receive vitamins.

Give hamsters both vegetables and pieces of fruit. There must be clean water in the drinking bowl. They should be fed natural, low-fat and unsweetened food.

At home, hamsters reproduce quickly. Females give birth to cubs in 19-21 days.

There are up to ten hamsters in one litter. By three weeks, these animals become completely independent.

Observing the lifestyle and development of golden hamsters at home

Throughout the entire school year in third grade, we visited the Ecological and Biological Center. We got acquainted with animals, rodents, birds, and flora on the territory of the EcoCenter.

We have a desire to care for animals at home. My parents did not allow me to have a cat or a dog, since they scratch walls and furniture and require a lot of care, but they agreed to keep hamsters in a city apartment.

At the beginning, together with the teacher, we studied special literature on keeping hamsters at home. This is “The School of the Yunnats” by Anatoly Onegin.

Then, at the pet store, my parents and I bought a cage, a wheel and all the equipment necessary for the hamsters to live in.

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