Behaviors of Syrian Hamsters

One of the easiest to take care as pets, the Syrian Hamsters is becoming a popular pet for people around the globe. This breed of Mesocricetus Auratus are said to be comfortable in living a solitary life. This type of hamsters is territorial and defensive animals. Most specially, the female Syrian hamsters are more aggressive than the males are. The reason behind this one is that female needs to be protective of its offspring. The male Syrian hamsters can only be with the female when they are having the mating season. This thus means that once the mating is over and the rearing has begun, the male hamsters won’t have any responsibility towards its young pups already.

For wild Syrian hamsters, they mark their territories by spraying their scents from their glands on their flanks. They are nocturnal creatures because at dawn, they need to look for their prey.

Appearance

Syrian hamsters have variety of colors, patterns and fur types. Most often, it is sometimes called as the Teddy Bear because of their wide head, with erected ears and big eyes. What makes them unique is their pouch inside their mouths to collect some food. Syrian hamsters’ pouches extend until the side bottom part of their bodies. In front of their feet, they have four toes and at the back, they have five. They can grow for as long as 6 inches excluding their tail size. For this, the Syrian Hamster is the largest hamster of its species.

Syrian Hamsters as Pet

In choosing for their cage, you must consider that Syrian hamsters are animals that love chewing. You can consider buying a plastic cage, but it would be better to provide them a wire cage. Don’t forget also to choose a high cage for they like to climb by nature.

Naturally, Syrian hamsters know how to take care of their bodies specifically their fur. Their toilet should be daily inspected, and once a week, their cage must be cleaned. Most of the time, they store and keep their food under their bed area so it must be monitored for they might be eating spoiled vegetables, fruits or seed already. Their toes can easily grow so clipping and cutting their toes would help them live better.

Syrian hamsters really are interested in attractive objects. They are inquisitive creatures so they should not be deprived of simple toys or stump of woods that would make them busy. Syrian hamsters are productive and would like to exercise. So it is also important that you provide them with an exercise wheel that could spare them from suffering back pains. Some of them can enjoy too much exercising in the wheels and if you see that obsession happening, feel free to remove their wheels once in a while to prevent them from over fatigue.

Syrian hamsters are easy to domesticate and what’s good about them is once you were able to tame them, they would remain as such for the rest of their lives.

Reproduction and breeding

When the female Syrian hamsters are about four months old, they can actually mate and breed. The female Syrian hamster gives signs when they are in the mood to mate. She would raise her tail and she strokes her back. The male Syrian hamster should be introduced to the female hamster cautiously. The female Syrian hamster should enter the area first. Approximately, about 16 days is the gestation period of Syrian Hamsters. When their offspring are born, the Syrian hamster pups are bald and blind. For two weeks, the Syrian hamster pups should be nested and after four weeks, they would not need the mother hamster anymore. Syrian hamsters’ life span is about two to three years only.