Syrian hamsters were bred from wild relatives discovered in Syria. They are noticeably larger than the Dzungarian babies and their body size is more likely to resemble large guinea pigs.
Many rodent lovers start houses of these animals. This is due to their unpretentiousness, cleanliness and good health.
Classification
The Syrian golden hamster (as these animals are sometimes called) belongs to the class of mammals, type of chordates, subtype of vertebrates. These are rodents from the family of hamsters, the genus of medium-sized hamsters.
Habitat
As a separate species, these rodents came from wild relatives who live in the vicinity of the city of Aleppo, in the desert of Syria. The first breeders of these babies were the British. Thanks to their work, Syrian hamsters of various colors live in our homes today.
In the United States, these cute animals were first bred at the beginning of the 20th century. Toddlers have become wonderful pets. American breeders continued the work of their English counterparts and bred new varieties of these animals. Thus a pedigree classification of these rodents arose.
Habitat
Syrian hamsters live in natural conditions on grain fields, in meadows and steppes, in foothill steppe landscapes in:
- Of Asia.
- Iran.
- The Balkans.
- Turkey.
Description
The Syrian hamster, whose photo you can see in this article, got another name - gold (or sand) because of the golden color of its fur. These charming creatures are unpretentious in care and maintenance, quite hardy and clean. All these qualities have allowed them to become the favorite pets of many people around the world.
Even those people who previously did not contain any animals can take care of them. This hamster will not cause much trouble to its owner. It is important to remember that these are very fast creatures. They run fast and, at the slightest opportunity, try to escape if they disappear from your field of vision for a while (for example, while walking around the apartment).
Sometimes in a pet store you can hear a question from buyers: “Are Syrian hamsters biting?” The answer may be one - for no reason they do not bite. And the reason for the bite may be your hands smelling of something tasty. Another animal in this way can defend itself when it wants to free itself from your increased attention.
In the first case, the bite can be prevented quite simply - to take the hamster only with cleanly washed hands. The second case assumes that you will not torment the animal (and do not allow this to the children), and therefore your pet will not bite you from pain and anger.
External features
Syrian hamsters have a stocky body, the length of which does not exceed 13.5 cm. They have short legs, round, medium-sized ears. The muzzle is short, with small bead eyes and a small tail, which is not very visible under the thick coat.
The belly of this baby is light, and the back has an ocher-gray color. There are five fingers on the hind legs, and four on the front (plus the fifth vestigial). Under natural conditions, the hamster lives in shallow minks. Active at night. During the collection and transportation of materials to create a nest, he uses cheek pouches. The most popular and widespread color of wool is golden (natural color). And we will answer another frequently asked question: “How long does the Syrian hamster live?” The life expectancy of a Syrian hamster is three years.
Content
If you decide to take responsibility for this tiny living creature and put a Syrian hamster in your house, then you need to know some features of its contents. Despite its small size, the animal requires care and attention. Regardless of the size of the pet that you settled in the house, you are responsible for its well-being. The length of his life and how comfortable his maintenance in captivity will depend on how correctly you care for him.
Choose a cell
Cages for the Syrian hamster should be selected with a deep plastic tray and metal bars. In addition, you will need an aquarium made of ordinary or organic glass. The size of the cage should be a minimum of 30x40 cm with a minimum height of the aquarium of 30 centimeters.
For bedding, you can use large sawdust (dry). They should be spread out in a uniform layer, the thickness of which is usually about 4 cm. It should be noted that for long-haired varieties, it is better to refuse sawdust, since they can confuse the wool. In this case, it is better to use a special woody natural filler in combination with paper napkins. To build nests, your pet will use hay, straw, pieces of paper.
Syrian hamsters (domestic) need a house, which is placed inside the cage. In it, the baby will rest. It is equally important to take care of the active life of the hamster in order to avoid problems with excess weight and overall well-being. For this purpose, a large wheel for regular runs of the animal and various obstacles are placed in the cage.
Do not forget to put a bowl for food and a drinker. Every 4-5 days in the cell must be cleaned. The bowl and drinker are washed with running water. Once a month, a general cleaning is carried out - the entire contents of the cell is washed with a chlorine-containing solution. As you can see, these are unpretentious creatures - Syrian hamsters. Caring for them is not particularly difficult. And their nature awarded health with excellent health. However, like any living thing, they can suffer a disease. Therefore, owners should be aware that their pet's illness is most often a consequence of stress. It can be caused by:
- the appearance of a neighbor in the cell;
- long trip;
- sleep disturbance;
- a change in the position of the cell.
Typically, diseases appear with the following symptoms:
- manifestation of aggression;
- slightly wet fur;
- the appearance of fleas or lice;
- sores on the skin;
- loose and frequent stools;
- inactivity with eyes closed;
- significant loss of fur at the slightest touch;
- hard breath.
Syrian hamster: care
Bathing these rodents is not recommended, with personal hygiene they cope well on their own. Hamsters often wash, brush their hair several times a day. Long-haired varieties need a container of sand. In it they will clean their fur. They should be helped in caring for the hair by combing it with a small brush or thick comb. Shorthair individuals will be completely satisfied with combing with a massage or toothbrush.
When letting the baby out of the cage for a walk around the house (which they need), the owners should be very careful and careful, because your little pet is extremely vulnerable at this moment - danger is in danger at every step (sharply closed door, careless movement of a person, etc.).)
Food
So that Syrian hamsters do not get sick and feel great, the owners must provide them with a varied and high-quality diet. The lack of minerals and vitamins in the daily feed of the animal will immediately affect its health, and very soon it can begin to hurt.
Make sure that in his diet there is always a special grain mixture (oats, flax, millet), vegetables (carrots, lettuce), from plants a tradescantia is necessary. All foods that hamsters consume must be fresh. And one more rule that should be followed strictly: these rodents should never be overfed.
Syrian hamsters will enjoy cottage cheese with pleasure - low-fat and non-sour. Cabbage and nuts, salt and sugar, any spices, sour-milk drinks are strictly contraindicated for your pet. In order for the balance of moisture to be maintained in the body of this cute baby, he should be given milk (preferably if it is diluted dry), as well as water. Syrian hamsters drink little water, but it should always be clean in a drinker.
Breeding
These are very prolific animals that need suitable breeding conditions. At an air temperature of +25 degrees, a female Syrian hamster breeds all year round - three to four times, bringing six cubs. Males reach puberty a month after birth, females are crossed in two months. After fertilization, the male is precipitated from the cage, because pregnant individuals are characterized by increased aggression, which can lead to animal injuries.
Most often, births in females take place at night. During the feeding of the offspring, the female needs enhanced nutrition.
Health problems
Syrian hamsters are especially characterized by such a health problem as obesity. In order to avoid it, wheels are installed in the cages for running. If the owners prefer to let the kids go for a walk around the apartment, then this is not always justified - because the hamster can be injured and even die.
Many diseases of Syrian hamsters are provoked by not very good maintenance at home, unbalanced nutrition and stress, which we have already mentioned. Therefore, try without urgent need to change the location of the cell, do not disturb the baby’s sleep, do not take your pet on long trips, do not perform other actions that can provoke stress.
But, unfortunately, even those animals that are very well cared for are ill. Recovery of the baby depends on the type of disease and how quickly it will be diagnosed. Do not try to treat a hamster on your own. In some cases, this can lead to irreparable consequences.
More correctly, having noticed the unusual behavior of the hamster, contact a veterinary clinic.
