Hamster Syrian – How do you embrace him? What do you eat? How long does it live? Description of the race

The Syrian hamster is an energetic and intelligent rodent, larger than other species of domestic hamsters. Although it does not deeply interact with people like a cat or a dog, it can offer very pleasure to people who want a pet that requires little maintenance and without too much work.

The Syrian hamster is originally from Asia Minor. The species was discovered at the beginning of the nineteenth century, but after a short period of time it was considered dispersed. In the 1930s, unique copies were found which managed to reproduce in laboratory conditions. This led to the renewal of the race and, at the same time, to its tame. The hamsters proved to be extremely prolific and quickly arrived in domestic farms on both sides of the Atlantic. They appeared in Poland in the 1950s. The Syrian hamster was the first kind of this subfamille of mammals that arrived in the hands of the fans. For many years he has been one of the most popular pets. Over time, it has made room for smaller varieties. However, it is still very popular.

The appearance of the Syrian hamster

Syrian hamsters are characterized by their considerable size – for their kinds. They reach a length of 15-18 cm and weigh between 100 and 250 g (they are 3 times larger than the famous jungle hamster). They have a cylindrical shape of the body, with a slightly marked line of life and short and strong legs, adapted to travel long distances.

The Syrian hamsters who live in nature have a short and golden brown fur on the upper and white part on the bottom. The forms of reproduction took on a wide range of colors: white, cream, cinnamon, brown, brown, brown, gray, black. Furthermore, it is not unusual that Syrian hamsters are multicolored, such as turtle or fish. At the same time, they have different types of fur: short, long, satin (short, but extremely dense and bright), rex (I believe or wavy).

Syrian hamsters have large and prominent eyes, but have a weak vision. On the other hand, they have an excellent hearing (they can even hear the ultrasound) and a very sensitive sense. In addition, an important sensory organ, which helps rodents to orient themselves on the ground. The structure of the hamster body is characterized by incisors without root, which grow throughout their lives and the extensible bags of the cheeks, which can store up to 20 g of food. Syrian hamsters live on average 2-4 years in a domestic environment.

What requirements does the Syrian hamster have?

Although the Syrian hamster is a lively animal and prone to play, it is a solitary type. Therefore, two Syrian hamsters in the same cage are not a good idea. In addition, the animal needs a lot of space for itself. The optimal surface for an adult Syrian hamster is 1 m2. In addition, the cage must be made with durable materials. Otherwise, the animal will bring thanks.

For the safety of the hamster, it is advisable to choose a cage at a level: the delicate rodent will hurt if it falls from high height. The hamster should not be exposed to noises, strong sunlight, air currents or quick changes in temperature (it is interesting to see that, at certain temperatures, the hamsters enter a winter or summer sleep, from which they should not wake up). Syrian hamsters are active at night and are quite noisy at the same time. Therefore, it is not a good idea to place the cage in the bedroom.

Syrian hamster accessories

A rodent must have a variety of accessories in his cage. The most important of these is a roll of adequate dimensions (about 25 cm in diameter), which allows the hamster to stay in shape and download its excess energy. For the same reasons, the animal needs other toys, for example oscillations, balls, tooth toys. The latter also guarantees the abrasion of incisors.

The cage should not lose the bowls for food and water, preferably resistant to the incisors of the animal. The Syrian hamster should feel safe in a house, for example, made of wood or cardboard (it must be replaced occasionally, because the animal will bite it). The bottom should be covered with a layer of substrate often enough to dig inside. It is also advisable to place a bath in the corner of the cage, which the Syrian hamster of cleaning quickly learns to use.

What do Syrian hamsters eat?

The basis of a Syrian hamster diet should be a specialized food. This is a mixture of cereals, herbs, vegetables and fruit with a composition that provides the animal with all the necessary nutrients. A good choice is represented by ready -made pellets, whose nutrition prevents the selective consumption of favorite food ingredients (which leads to nutritional deficiencies).

The Syrian hamster diet can be varied with small quantities of fresh vegetables (for example carrots) and fruit (for example, bananas). In addition, products of animal origin (for example white flies) should be added, because rodents feed on them in nature. Pumpkin or walnut seeds can complete the diet (small quantities, because the seeds are rich in calories). The special goodies will help the hamsters grind their incisors. Animals must always have access to fresh drinking water.

The care of the Syrian hamster

The daily care of the Syrian hamster is not complicated. In addition to regular nutrition, it is mainly based on maintaining cleaning in the cage: removing the feces and broken food residues. The natural behavior of hamsters is to accumulate food reserves (treasure) in a place chosen by themselves. This should be constantly monitored and must guarantee that pieces of rotten fruits, for example, do not remain in the bowl, because it could damage the animal. Do not completely empty the bowl, as this could become a reason for serious stress for the hamster.

How is a Syrian hamster tanned?

A hamster that arrives at a new house must initially be silent. Do not interact with him until he gets used to his new environment and feels good in the cage.

So the animal must get used to the voice, the smell of its custodian. To do this, you can sit in front of the cage and talk to the hamster with a calm tone. Of course, the hamster will not understand the words, but will recognize the emotions of his new teacher. It is better to assign the time of the activity of the hamster, that is, in the evening, for this tanning stage.

After a few days, the animal can be comforted, considering that violent movements will be perceived as an attack (the hamster can respond through the bite). Only when the hamster starts to respond positively to comfort, can you take it in hand. It is worth rewarding it with a reward later, so that the contact with the custodian evokes positive associations for the animal.

Anna Dobroń