The first known hamsters were caught in Syria, and they are generally referred to as Syrian hamsters, although you may also find some dubbed a teddy bear hamster. A female Syrian hamster comes into season every 4 days (although this may vary from 3-5 days). Hamsters live naturally in the wild, though wild Syrian hamsters are becoming rare. • They have small, bare paws that have tiny but sharp claws. The first hamsters were discovered in Syria, though they also live in Greece, Romania, Belgium and northern China. Native to Syria and Turkey, wild Syrian hamsters … They are found in the wild in many parts of the world, including Syria, Russia and China. In the wild, your hamsters could become prey to animals that live their lives outdoors finding their own food. So, if the hamster wasn't eaten by a dog/cat/etc, the weather would probably kill him. Whenever the hamsters find a spider around, it feels to catch the spider and then kill the spider suddenly. Syrian Hamsters. In fact, only 5 species of hamsters are pets. There are 24 different species of wild hamsters, five of which are domesticated. According to Dunn, only three scientific expeditions have observed this species in the wild, the last in 1999. In colder climates, he'd probably go torpid and never come out of the torpor state. In the wild the Syrian Hamster lives alone and is fiercely territorial, attacking any intruders or other hamsters it may be confronted with during its travels. There are about 26 species known worldwide in Middle East, Asia and Europe. The speed can vary from hamster to hamster, from breed to breed, but this is about the speed the can reach. Syrian Hamsters, first domesticated in 1930, are native to the deserts of Syria.The hamster saga truly began when Dr. Your beautiful pet hamster is little changed from the wild hamsters to which he is related, though his life with you, free from predators, droughts, or natural disasters, will hopefully be more relaxing. The Syrian hamster was thought to be extinct in the wild as no sightings had been made of wild Syrian hamsters since the 1980’s. Your hamsters would likely pick up parasites for which they have no natural resistance. The same goes for its cousins. If food is plentif… Their name in the local Arabicdialect where they were found translates to "father of saddlebags" (Arabic: أبو جراب) due to the remarkable amount of storage space in their cheek pouches. In the wild, their staple is composed of mixed seeds, grains, fruits, leafy greens and other edible plant materials they forage through the evening. This kind of thermoregulation diminishes the metabolic rate to about 5% and helps the animal to considerably reduce the need for food during the winter. Wild Syrian hamsters eat harmless spiders. In the wild, hamsters are larder hoarders; they use their cheek pouches to transport food to their burrows. Syrian and Mongolian hamsters sometimes will burrow up to ten feet or more in order to avoid high desert temperatures. Since hamsters don't have sweat glands, it is important that they can keep cool. Likewise, I'm not sure a domesticated hamsters burrow system would be built as well as a wild hamsters. Types of hamsters that live in the wild areas. Their natural geographical range is limited to arid areas of Syria, Turkey, Greece, Romania and Belgium. The Syrian Hamster is generally about 5 ½ inches (13 cm) in length, although some can be little larger. In the wild, these hamsters originate from Dzungaria, Kazakhstan, the meadows of Mongolia, Siberia, and the birch stands of Manchuria. They sometimes live in the semi-deserts in Central Asia. Syrians lived in the Middle East in an arid country that is mainly desert or rather bare rocks, without a great deal of difference between the seasons. Unfortunately, these hamsters in the wild are losing their habitat very fastly. Syrian hamsters are known to communicate aggression through teeth chattering. Group housed Syrians is reckless, and often ends with the hamsters attacking and killing each other. Syrian hamsters behave similiarly in the wild and in captivity, preferring to live a solitary life. Like most members of the subfamily, the Syrian Hamster has expandable cheek pouches, which extend from its cheeks to its shoulders. Many of the species live in harsh environments, some inhabiting the deserts of the Middle East, others originating in the frozen landscapes of Siberia and northern China. Also known as the golden hamster, the Syrian hamster is 5 to 7 inches long, and weighs between 4 and 8 ounces. Syrian Hamster Behaviour In The Wild. Their numbers have been declining in the wild due to a loss of habitat from agriculture and deliberate elimination by humans. Until 1930, hamsters were wild animals. In captivity, the Syrian must be housed solitary. While pet hamsters live in cages, hamsters in the wild burrow deep underground. A Syrian hamster has larger limbs than a Dwarf hamster, and can cover more ground. In the wild, they like to live in warm, dry areas, like steppes, sand dunes and the edges of deserts.Hamsters were brought to the United States in 1936 from Syria, according to the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association. Syrian hamsters in the wild Golden hamsters or also known as the teddy bear hamsters, Syrian hamsters are the most wanted and loved pet species among hamsters. WILD HISTORY: Syrian hamsters are hardy creatures that come from the semi-desert region of Syria. Now there are over 100 different colours because of selective breeding.Little is known about their life in the wild. • Hamsters have internal cheek pouches, which extend from their mouth to nearly as far back as their hind legs. A Roborovski dwarf hamster, found in parts of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. The spider is a kind of food for the hamsters. Fun Facts for Kids. Aharoni had no option but to raise the 10 babies by his own hand. Three survived and form the … Heat resistant and survivors. • Hamsters are stout, round-bodied rodents with beady eyes and stubby tails. Wild Syrian hamsters … All Syrian hamsters living in captivity today are descendants of a single female and her twelve babies, captured in Syria in 1930. ORIGIN. The Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), also known as the golden hamster, is a breed of hamster.They first lived in Syria.They are also known as golden hamsters because the first ones kept as pets were gold coloured. The Syrian hamster is a lovely little rodent that can become quite tame, friendly and affectionate. Moreover, the spider is prey to the hamsters. Occasionally they hunt insects for the protein. All Syrian hamsters that are pets in the United States are captive bred. DESCRIPTION. Mesocricetus auratus are endemic to arid northern Syria and parts of Turkey, where they live a solitary existence.Unlike other rodents, Syrians only come together for breeding and the females raise their young alone. The golden hamster or Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is a rodent belonging to the hamster subfamily, Cricetinae. Hamsters prefer to live in warm, dry areas, such as near the desert or steppes. In the semi-desert lands of Mongolia, Campbells hamsters are at their most active in the evenings, when they emerge from their burrow to look for food. These rodents can be accustomed and will respond to human voice. These ... Tail for climbing trees. The Campbell hamsters can live between 2 and 4 years in captivity while the Chinese hamsters live for 2.5 to 3 years. Like many hamster species, the Syrian hamster is observed as being a total loner & living a solitary lifestyle in the wild, only observed together during the breeding season. I Aharoni captured a mother hamster and her litter in Aleppo, Syria - the first Golden Hamsters found alive in nearly a century. However, their numbers in the wild is reducing due to hunting by farmers to prevent crop destruction. They were some of the first domesticated hamsters. Syrian Hamsters are solitary and this makes mating particularly difficult as the male and female should only be introduced when the female is in season or serious fighting will occur. Syrian hamsters are omnivorous. The burrows of this animal are quite long, sometimes reaching 9 meters in length in agricultural lands. This is the way through which the hamsters and the spiders live together. Aharoni put the mother and 11 kids into a wooden box but the mother hamster attacked one baby and chewed its head off. This is one of the most amazing and cute qualities of the hamsters which are living in the wild areas. 19 were caught and now form the nucleus of a captive breeding programme in Germany. The fur on the body helps hamsters. The days are hot and the nights cold, and food and water are scarce, so hamsters are nocturnal, living below ground to avoid the high daytime temperatures. WHERE DO SYRIAN HAMSTERS COME FROM (IN THE WILD) It is believed that pet Hamsters all come from a Single pair of Syrian Golden Hamster. Syrian hamsters originate in the Middle East (particularly Israel and Syria). Syrian hamsters are often sold in pet stores under a variety of made up names such as “teddy bear” or “fancy bear” to appeal to young buyers. The word ‘hamster’ is used for several different species of this family of rodents. Observations of Syrian hamsters in the wild have been rare: one expedition in 1981, one in 1997, another in 1999, but little progress has been made. Do hamsters still live in the wild? Hamsters are found in several places around the world, such as Syria and China. The Campbells hamsters of Mongolia. However expeditions in 1997 and 1999 found some wild Syrian hamsters. There are five species of hamsters kept in captivity (and around 20 exist in the wild), with Syrians being the largest of their captive kin. Djungarian hamsters also live in the dry steppes and wheat or alfalfa fields, as well as on small fields, grassy planes, and mountain steppes. Here's a short clip from BBC programme 'Wild China', Beyond the Great Wall. Wild Syrian hamsters are listed as “vulnerable” due to their reduced numbers. Israel Aharoni and a local Sheikh El-Beled found a Syrian hamster and her 11 young babies in 1930. Syrian hamsters live in individual burrows a distance away from any other burrow of another hamster. Their habitat is limited to the parts of Syria and some areas of Turkey. In the wild Syrian hamsters can hibernate and allow their body temperature to fall close to ambient temperature. 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