Subscribe Feed (RSS)There are just five types of hamster that would be commonly kept as pets even though there are lots more types that live in the wild. There are several differences between the hamsters that would make them unique but there are also things that would apply to all, whatever the type.
The main similarity is their lifespan which is around one thousand days or, to put it another way – nearly three years. It is usual for the male to outlive the female. All types of hamster have scent glands, but the location of the glands will depend on the hamster type.
Everyone knows that hamsters have pouches in their cheeks where they carry and store food. But did you know that the hamster would use their pouch to carry their young in case of danger.
The breeding age for the Teddy Bear Hamster is around six to eight weeks with a pregnancy of only fifteen days duration. The litter size will be around six or eight pups. It is common knowledge that hamsters are very easily stressed and the new mother is even more likely to suffer from stress. This could cause this new mother to eat the new born babies. So, if you are breeding from your Teddy Bear Hamster female, it is important that you do not allow her to get stressed.
The Teddy Bear Hamster is the common name for the pet breed of hamster, the Syrian hamster. It is also known as the golden hamster or the fancy hamster.
The Teddy Bear Hamster, when fully grown, will be around seven inches long. The female will usually be longer than a male.
When you are looking in the pet stores at the Teddy Bear Hamsters, it is usual to find quite a few young ones caged together. Teddy Bear Hamsters are extremely territorial and will protect their territory by fighting the intruder – usually to the death. However, they will not develop the territorial instinct until they are around six weeks old. When they reach that age, they should be housed in one cage each to avoid this conflict.
A very well-known breeder of hamsters, Tammy Crum told this story:
“When a former partner of mine was using a tiered arrangement for storing the hamsters, the teddy bear was on the top tier. As they were stored in a fish tank, they escaped over the side landing in another tank with Roborovskis. Sadly, by the time my former partner found the Teddy Bear Hamsters, every one of the Roborovskis had been killed.”
As the teddy bear is a large hamster, they are less quick to tire when being held than the smaller dwarf hamster. The Teddy Bear Hamster, although they are often called the golden hamster, come in over forty different shades. This has evolved through selective breeding which allows for breeding hamsters with different length of fur as well as in different colors.
Most of the breeds of hamster will not usually require any grooming at all except of course, for the long haired Teddy Bear Hamster. It is a simple enough task that can be achieved by using a soft toothbrush to remove any debris from the fur.
