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| | {{Taxobox | | {{Taxobox |
| | | color = pink | | | color = pink |
| − | | name = Syrian or Golden Hamster | + | | name = Roborovski Hamster |
| − | | status = EN
| + | | image = Roborovski hamster.jpg |
| − | | status_system = iucn2.3
| + | | image_width = 220px |
| − | | image = Golden_hamster_front_1.jpg | |
| − | | image_width = 250px | |
| | | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | | | regnum = [[Animal]]ia |
| − | | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | + | | phylum = [[Chordata]] |
| − | | subphylum = [[Vertebrate|Vertebrata]]
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| | | classis = [[Mammal]]ia | | | classis = [[Mammal]]ia |
| | | ordo = [[Rodent]]ia | | | ordo = [[Rodent]]ia |
| − | | subordo = [[Myomorpha]]
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| − | | superfamilia = [[Muroidea]]
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| | | familia = [[Cricetidae]] | | | familia = [[Cricetidae]] |
| | | subfamilia = [[Cricetinae]] | | | subfamilia = [[Cricetinae]] |
| − | | genus = ''[[Mesocricetus]]'' | + | | genus = ''[[Phodopus]]'' |
| − | | species = '''''M. auratus''''' | + | | species = '''''P. roborovski''''' |
| − | | binomial = ''Mesocricetus auratus'' | + | | binomial = ''Phodopus roborovski'' |
| − | | binomial_authority = [[George Robert Waterhouse|Waterhouse]], 1839 | + | | binomial_authority = ([[K. A Satunin|Satunin]], 1903) |
| | }} | | }} |
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| − | The '''Syrian Hamster''' or '''Golden Hamster''', ''Mesocricetus auratus'', is the best known member of the [[rodent]] [[subfamily]] [[Cricetinae]], the [[hamster]]s. They may now be [[extinct]] in the wild, but are popular as housepets and scientific research animals. Adults grow from 5 to 7 inches (12.5 to 17.5 cm ) in length, and will usually have a lifespan of 2 to 3 years.
| + | '''Roborovskis''' ('''''Phodopus roborovski''''') are the smallest and fastest of all [[hamster]]s and are commonly kept as [[pet]]s. Distinguishing characteristics of the Roborovskis are the white spots where their eyebrows would be, and the lack of a dorsal stripe commonly seen in dwarf hamsters. On average, they live the longest of any pet hamsters, on average three to three and a half years of age. |
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| − | ==Biology==
| + | They are very curious, however easily startled and generally quite shy. They are social and, when socialised from an early age, sleep together in one place. They are not usually recommended for families with children, due to their flighty and sensitive temperament. Also, they are not as affectionate as other, more robust breed of hamster. Roborovski hamsters do not like to be held or cuddled, and do not form trusting relationships with humans easily. As they grow to be roughly the size of an adults thumb, they can easily squeeze through the bars of a standard hamster cage, and so careful consideration needs to be given to housing. Because of their size and speed, Roborovski's are best for people who prefer to observe rather than to play with their pet. |
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| − | Like most members of the subfamily, the Syrian Hamster has expandable cheek pouches, which extend from its cheeks to its shoulders. In the wild, hamsters are [[larder hoarding|larder hoarders]]; they use their cheek pouches to transport food to their burrows. Their name in the local [[Arabic language|Arabic]] dialect where they were found translates to "father of saddlebags" due to the remarkable amount of storage space in their cheek pouches. If food is plentiful, they will store it in large amounts--it has been reported that 25 kg of grain was found in the burrow of a single hamster.
| + | Because of their size and features, they can be comical pets when observed in social groups. If kept together in mixed sex pairs or groups Roborovski Hamsters usually start to breed in the spring following the year in which the female was born. Females often become sterile at around 24 months of age but males usually remain fertile for most of their life. |
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| − | Sexually mature female hamsters come into season ([[oestrus]]) every four days. Putting a male and female hamster together when the female is not in heat may result in the female attacking the male. Syrian Hamsters have the shortest gestation period in any known mammal at only 16 to 18 days. They can produce large litters of 20 or more young, although the average litter size is 8. If a mother hamster is inexperienced or feels threatened, she may abandon or even cannibalise her pups. It is inadvisable for inexperienced owners to breed them. [[image:Jan2306_122.jpg|thumb|left|male teddy bear hamster]]
| + | Roborovski hamsters gestate for around 23-30 days. When the young are born they resemble pink beans. At around 5-6 days the skin may start to pigment and at 6-8 days hair begins to emerge. By 10-12 days the babies are covered in short fur and the eyelids are beginning to mature. At this time the babies may also start wandering around the cage, even though still blind. The female will usually collect the wandering babies and return them to the nest - this may be accompanied by squealing from the babies but is not usually anything to worry about. At 14-16 days of age the eyes open and the babies are fully covered in fur. |
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| − | Most hamsters in American and British pet stores are Syrian Hamsters. Originally, Syrian Hamsters came in just one color — the mixture of brown, black, and gold which gave them their "Golden" name — but they have since developed a myriad of color mutations such as cream, white, blonde, banded, tortoiseshell, calico, and sable. Therefore in pet stores today, ''Golden Hamster'' is only used to label the original coloration (also known as agouti). Other-colored short-hairs are banded under the label ''Fancy Hamster''. ''Teddy Bear'' is a term used to describe the long-haired variety of the Syrian Hamster, named so for their remarkable resemblance to toy teddy bears. They are also sometimes known as "angora hamsters". Male teddy bear hamsters usually have much longer fur than the female variety, culminating in a "skirt" of longer fur around their backsides. ''Black Bears'' are a recent off-shoot of teddy bear hamsters (mutation discovered in 1985), with their major difference being their black-colored fur. It can be argued that black bears are just black teddy bears rather than their own breed; on the other hand, black bears were originally selectively bred for their larger size and more docile nature as well as their color. However, in current stock, this may or may not still be the case.
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| − | Syrian Hamsters are wildly popular as housepets due to their docile, inquisitive natures and small size. They are popular as "first pets" for young children, as well as being classroom animals, because of their hardiness and relative ease of care. Some pet owners find them more attractive in relation to rats and other rodents due to their lack of visible tails. Syrian Hamsters are notoriously territorial, however. Even tame Syrian Hamsters will frequently attack and, indeed, kill, other adult hamsters. When kept as pets, Syrians must be housed in single sex groups after the age of six weeks, and housed individually by the time they are ten weeks old.
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| − | Syrian Hamsters have also been used in scientific research — in the study of many diseases, as well as in the study of behaviour. They have a number of [[fixed action pattern]]s that are readily observed, including scent-marking. They are particularly used in airway and respiratory physiology research.
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| − | | |
| − | == Discovery ==
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| − | | |
| − | [[Image:hamster.jpg|thumb|right|dark-eared white hamster]]
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| − | In [[1839]] [[Britain|British]] [[zoologist]] [[George Robert Waterhouse]] reportedly found an elderly female hamster in Syria, naming it ''Cricetus auratus,'' the Golden Hamster. The hamster's fur was on display at the [[British Museum (Natural History)]]. The Syrian Hamster was then ignored by European science for the next century.
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| − | In 1930, [[Israel Aharoni]], a zoologist and professor at the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]], captured a mother hamster and her litter of babies in the [[Syria|Syrian]] desert. By the time he got back to his lab, most had died or escaped. The remaining three hamsters were given to his university, where they were successfully bred. Because they were a bit bigger than the ones Waterhouse found, they were named ''Mesocricetus auratus''. ''Mesocricetus auratus'' is the currently accepted scientific name of the Syrian Hamster.
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| − | Descendants of these hamsters were shipped to scientific labs around the world for use as research animals. They arrived in the [[United Kingdom]] in 1931, and reached the United States in 1938. Soon after their initial discovery, they were found to make great pets. Just about all captive Syrian Hamsters today are descended from the original litter found in Syria, except for a few that were brought into the United States by travellers who found them in the desert. A separate stock of hamsters was imported into the US in 1971, but it is not known if any of today's North American pets are descended from them.
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| − | ==Gallery==
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| − | <gallery>
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| − | Image:100_983.jpg|A Golden Hamster
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| − | Image:Golden_hamster_side_1.jpg|Golden Hamster
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| − | </gallery>
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| − | ==See also==
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| − | *[[Hamster]]
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| − | | |
| − | ==References==
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| − | * {{IUCN2006|assessors=Baillie|year=1996|id=13219|title=Mesocricetus auratus|downloaded=09 May 2006}} Listed as Endangered (EN B1+2c v2.3)
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| | ==External links== | | ==External links== |
| | *[http://www.hamstersecretsrevealed/blog/ Hamster Secrets Revealed] | | *[http://www.hamstersecretsrevealed/blog/ Hamster Secrets Revealed] |
| − | *[http://www.syrianhamster.com Syrian Hamster]
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| | *[http://www.hamster-heaven.com Hamster Heaven] | | *[http://www.hamster-heaven.com Hamster Heaven] |
| − | *[http://critterscoop.com/FAQ/HamsterFAQ.htm CritterScoop Illustrated HamsterFAQ]
| + | *[http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/images/roborovski.jpg Image of a roborovskii] |
| − | *[http://www.hamsterific.com Hamsterific.com]
| + | *[http://roborovski.tk/ R&R Hamsters (a.k.a. Roborovski Hideout)] |
| − | *[http://www.xander.it/video.htm Xander.it] - Video collection of Syrian hamsters (page is in Italian)
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| − | *[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=10036&lvl=3&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock Genome information]
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| − | *[http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/syrian_hamsters.htm Petwebsite Entry on Syrians] | |
| − | *[http://hometown.aol.com/TheRiverRd/ The River Road Hamstery]- Very good information on hamster breeding, especially for coat types
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| − | *[http://www.hamsoc.org.uk/varieties.php The Hamster Society] | |
| − | *[http://www.razthehamster.com/gallery RaztheHamster] - Syrian Hamster Gallery
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| − | [[Category:Animals kept as pets]]
| |
| | [[Category:Hamsters]] | | [[Category:Hamsters]] |
| | [[Category:Mammals of Asia]] | | [[Category:Mammals of Asia]] |
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| − | [[bg:Златист хамстер]]
| + | [[de:Roborowski-Zwerghamster]] |
| − | [[da:Guldhamstere]]
| + | [[fr:Hamster de Roborovski]] |
| − | [[de:Goldhamster]] | + | [[it:Phodopus roborovskii]] |
| − | [[fr:Hamster doré]] | + | [[ja:ロボロフスキーハムスター]] |
| − | [[it:Mesocricetus auratus]] | + | [[pl:Chomik Roborowskiego]] |
| − | [[he:אוגר זהוב]]
| + | [[fi:Roborovskinkääpiöhamsteri]] |
| − | [[nl:Goudhamster]]
| + | [[zh:沙漠侏儒倉鼠]] |
| − | [[ja:ゴールデンハムスター]] | |
| − | [[pl:Chomik syryjski]] | |
| − | [[fi:Kultahamsteri]] | |
| − | [[sv:Guldhamster]]
| |
| − | [[zh:敘利亞倉鼠]] | |
Template:Taxobox
Roborovskis (Phodopus roborovski) are the smallest and fastest of all hamsters and are commonly kept as pets. Distinguishing characteristics of the Roborovskis are the white spots where their eyebrows would be, and the lack of a dorsal stripe commonly seen in dwarf hamsters. On average, they live the longest of any pet hamsters, on average three to three and a half years of age.
They are very curious, however easily startled and generally quite shy. They are social and, when socialised from an early age, sleep together in one place. They are not usually recommended for families with children, due to their flighty and sensitive temperament. Also, they are not as affectionate as other, more robust breed of hamster. Roborovski hamsters do not like to be held or cuddled, and do not form trusting relationships with humans easily. As they grow to be roughly the size of an adults thumb, they can easily squeeze through the bars of a standard hamster cage, and so careful consideration needs to be given to housing. Because of their size and speed, Roborovski's are best for people who prefer to observe rather than to play with their pet.
Because of their size and features, they can be comical pets when observed in social groups. If kept together in mixed sex pairs or groups Roborovski Hamsters usually start to breed in the spring following the year in which the female was born. Females often become sterile at around 24 months of age but males usually remain fertile for most of their life.
Roborovski hamsters gestate for around 23-30 days. When the young are born they resemble pink beans. At around 5-6 days the skin may start to pigment and at 6-8 days hair begins to emerge. By 10-12 days the babies are covered in short fur and the eyelids are beginning to mature. At this time the babies may also start wandering around the cage, even though still blind. The female will usually collect the wandering babies and return them to the nest - this may be accompanied by squealing from the babies but is not usually anything to worry about. At 14-16 days of age the eyes open and the babies are fully covered in fur.
External links
de:Roborowski-Zwerghamster
fr:Hamster de Roborovski
it:Phodopus roborovskii
ja:ロボロフスキーハムスター
pl:Chomik Roborowskiego
fi:Roborovskinkääpiöhamsteri
zh:沙漠侏儒倉鼠
