Lovely and beloved pets - hamsters - arouse genuine interest among the owners. The tiny fluffy creature is quite active, they tirelessly explore the territory and stock up on "provisions" for all occasions. You can meet a hamster not only in houses and apartments, but also in nature. A cute pet, getting into an aggressive habitat, can demonstrate its teeth, which you think in appearance. Is there a lot of unknown things still hidden by the fluffy toiler?
1. Translated from the Avestan language, the word "hamster" means "an enemy that plunges to the ground." The name is justified by the fact that in nature, animals bend the plant to the ground in an attempt to get to the seeds.
2. You can meet a hamster not only on the plain, but also in the mountains. Animals live even at an altitude of 3.5 thousand meters above sea level.
3. Hamster burrows are never difficult. They have a simple network of corridors and a couple of exits.
4. Depending on the species, hamsters reach a length of 5–35 cm! The largest species is the European hamster.
5. On the verge of extinction were just two species - Newton's and Syrian hamsters. Representatives of these species are listed in the Red Book.
6. Hamsters are great swimmers. They use their own cheeks as a float, simply drawing air into them.
7. Hamsters that live in their natural environment can carry dangerous diseases. This fact was taken into account by the government of Vietnam. It is forbidden to keep animals at home here. Violators are fined!
8. A hamster, unlike a rat, is not a social animal. Prefers loneliness.
9. The hamster is able to collect and stock up to 90 kg of feed and seeds. Only proteins are collected more.
10. Hamsters are nocturnal animals. They prefer to dig holes and bury themselves at nightfall. This should be taken into account.
11. Hamsters collect food by the cheeks to take it to the colony and eat it there.
12. Animals eat not only dried fruits and vegetables, grains and seeds. They are omnivorous, and therefore do not give up meat and protein foods.
13. Dwarf hamsters may well live to old age - up to 4 years!
14. Hamsters are able to delay the birth of cubs, if at this moment they are busy feeding the previous litter.
15. Males do not take any part in raising young. The female takes care of the offspring.
16. The duration of pregnancy reaches 2–3 weeks.
17. The smallest representatives of the genus do not exceed 10 grams, the largest ones reach 400 g.
18. The widespread myth about the good nature of animals is erroneous. Hamsters are quite aggressive, especially in their natural environment.
19. Animals do not distinguish colors at all, they have poor eyesight. This is compensated by excellent hearing and smell.
20. Each year of a hamster's life is equivalent to 25 years of human life.
21. A golden hamster lives in the homes of most of the world's inhabitants. Almost all domesticated pets came from the genus of a female who gave birth to 12 cubs in 1930.
22. The maximum number of pups in a litter is 20.
23. When walking, the hamster leaves odorous liquid traces. The fluid is produced by special glands. By smell, the animal finds its way home.
24. Hamsters are smart. Animals remember their owners, nicknames, can perform several tricks after training.
25. During a night in a wheel, an animal travels a distance of 10 km!
26. Animals are born with teeth, which continue to grow all the time. The animal grinds them down
27. In the United States, there are hamsters who drag iridescent objects from the forest into their burrows. If the animal takes the thing, it leaves a small pebble or stick in return.
28. Medicines are created from the cells of the animal's ovary. Biological material is used to create drugs for lymphocytic leukemia, sclerosis, and other serious diseases.
29. In the wild, hamsters wash themselves with sand.
30. The domestic hamster bites in exceptional stressful situations.
