Introduction
You may already own a hamster or simply looking at picking up a loveable friend, but have you ever wondered if you truly know everything there is to know about hamsters? In this blog we highlight 13 interesting facts about hamsters that you probably didn’t know already.
1. The name “hamster” originates from the German word “hamstern” which translated as “to hoard” as hamsters love to store food in their pouches.
2. Hamsters are solitary animals and should never be placed in the same environment as any other hamster, regardless of the size of their cage or tank.
3. The largest species of hamster is the Syrian hamster which can grow up to an impressive 30cm in length. Extra fact, Roborovski hamsters are the smallest.
4. Hamsters love burrowing, in the wild they dig many tunnels and chambers with separate areas designated to eating and sleeping, much like ants.
5. You may know the popular hamster species including Syrian, Dwarf, and Roborovski, but there are actually about 20 hamster species around the world.
6. Hamsters are nocturnal creatures which means they are most active during the night. Keep this in mind before owning a hamster and where you will place it.
7. Unlike humans and other animals, hamsters are born with a full set of teeth and keep this original set for their entire life.
8. Hamsters love storing food in their pouches, they can actually store up to their own bodyweight in food to keep them going.
9. Hamsters are banned throughout Hawaii. Due to their high reproduction rate combined with the perfect climate for hamsters throughout the country they could quickly grow large colonies which could cause large issues on agriculture and other species.
10. Hamsters teeth never stop growing, this is why it’s important to provide your hamster with adequate chew toys and stronger foods to file their teeth down.
11. Most hamsters have poor eyesight which makes them nearly blind when in bright lights which is a reason why they are nocturnal as they rely on their other senses including whiskers and and scent glands.
12. Chocolate can be toxic to hamsters, along with other food and beverages including caffeine and alcohol. Avoid feeding your hamster any of these and focus on delivering a healthy balanced diet for them.
13. Unlike many other animals, hamsters will not eat for the sake of it. For this reason, ensure you clean their environment regularly and remove any uneaten food.
And that makes up our first 13 facts about hamsters that your probably didn’t already know. Have you got any facts you’d like to share about hamsters, or feel that we missed any important information? Please be sure to share with us in the comments below!