Probably everyone is familiar with such cute rodents as hamsters. There are several types of them, and they live well with people as pets. But the common hamster is not the same as its domestic counterparts, it differs from them in many ways.
Description of the animal
This type of hamster is considered the largest of all that are now known. The body of an adult animal grows on average up to 30 cm and has a dense build. This "baby" weighs about half a kilo, and sometimes more. The tail reaches 4-6 cm, while it is thick at the base and pointed towards the end, covered with small hard hairs. The paws of the animal are short and have claws to facilitate movement. His ears are small. The common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) has special cheek pouches into which it can store about 50 grams of grain.
The color of the animal
The animal has a beautiful multi-colored skin. The main color is reddish, the breast and abdomen are black. Paws, nose, cheeks and a few spots on the sides are white. Depending on the habitat, its tone may be lighter or darker. Sometimes there are animals that havenon-standard black and white or pure black color. Many agree that the common hamster is the most beautiful member of its family. Therefore, for the sake of bright fur, they are hunted with special dogs.
Where the hamster lives
Usually the size of a hamster depends on the area in which it lives. You can meet him in the south of Europe, mainly in the steppe zone. He also lives in Northern Kazakhstan and Western Siberia. Of course, sometimes an ordinary hamster climbs into new territories for him, even into cities. He prefers to settle near vegetable gardens or fields to provide for his livelihood.
Lifestyle
Many other cartoons know that a hamster is a thrifty animal. He is a good owner who works all summer. Around August, he begins to make global stocks to provide himself with food for the entire winter and spring. To save food, the common hamster digs long burrows of varying lengths. It has many passages and chambers designed separately for a nest, several pantries, a winter hut, a bedroom, a dining room. In total, the length of all its corridors can be about 8 meters. All chambers are deep enough so that nothing happens to the animal's treasures in cold weather. Sometimes an ordinary hamster can take a ground squirrel's hole and settle there. In addition to collecting supplies, the animal is engaged in the fact that it monitors the cleanliness of its litter and regularly replaces it with a fresh one. With the onset of frost, the animal hibernates, waking up from time to time to refresh itself.
This animal is aggressive and does not tolerate the neighborhood of relatives. If another hamster wanders into his territory, he will fight with him. It is known that, protecting the entrance to its mink, this “fluffy” can attack not only predators, but even humans, and at the same time it is able to bite painfully. But, despite such courage, the animal can die, becoming the prey of a ferret, fox or feathered one. He is able to run fast and jump sharply, but if he is calm, he walks rather slowly. Basically, the hamster begins to swarm and come out of the mink only with the advent of evening. At dawn, he goes to the shelter. An ordinary hamster spends all his day there. The photo below shows the animal resting in a burrow.
Diet
An animal can eat a variety of foods, but its main dish is vegetable food. Its diet contains grasses, peas, grains, flowers, corn, alfalfa, seeds and tubers. But on occasion, he will not refuse to eat insects or invertebrates. Frogs, lizards, chicks, and sometimes mice can become its victims. With the approach of autumn, hamsters begin to actively stock up on food, which they carry in their bags, holding them with their paws. By the beginning of winter, the storerooms of the animal are filled with a large number of tubers and seeds (from 500 g to 25 kg). Therefore, in order to provide for itself, an ordinary hamster prefers to settle near agricultural land. It is surprising that pantries were found in the burrows of this "owner", in which various varieties of cereals were stacked separately.
Sometimes many relatives can be located in one territory, which leads to a lack of food. Therefore, an ordinary hamster can move to other areas. During such migrations, even rivers are not afraid of the animal, since it easily overcomes them.
The rut and motherhood
When spring arrives, the hamster leaves his winter hole and goes in search of a female. In her hole, he can stumble upon an opponent with whom a fight will definitely take place. After the victory, he marks the hole and waits for the consent of the female. Having got what he wants, the hamster goes home. Three weeks after this meeting, the female has a brood, which can have from 4 to 20 heirs. Each hamster weighs about 5 grams, and in the second week their eyes open, and the body is overgrown with hair. If the offspring is in danger, the mother takes him to a quiet place in bags intended for food.
Already a month later, the babies become independent and are forced to leave their native nest. Freed from motherhood, the female is ready to accept the male again. In one season, the animal can have two or three, and sometimes five broods happen. The common hamster becomes mature by three months of age, so young offspring may have their own babies by the end of summer.
Relationship with a person
People love to have all sorts of cute animals in their homes. But very rarely an ordinary hamster becomes a pet of a person. The description of his life shows that this animalneeds freedom and does not like society. Therefore, other breeds were bred for keeping in cages. In addition to its aggressiveness (in captivity, malice is not so pronounced), this beast is distinguished by the fact that it carries diseases, such as encephalitis. But some people still decide to have such an animal. Experience proves that it will never become tame. In addition, difficulties may arise when, with the onset of spring, the animal will have natural needs, and he will need to look for a mate. Some specimens are able to breed in captivity. The lifespan of a hamster is approximately 8 years.
Cricetus cricetus is the only representative of its kind. Of course, there are still many animals belonging to the hamster family. But unlike its rodent relatives, which can be tamed, this one is not domesticated and feels best in freedom. This hamster was first described by a scientist in 1774.
It is worth noting that in many areas this beast is a pest that steals cultivated plants, therefore it is subjected to targeted destruction. But the huge speed of its reproduction contributes to the fact that the animal is not threatened with extinction. This animal is also used as a laboratory animal.
