Difference between revisions of "AY Honors/Small Mammal Pets/Answer Key"

Revision as of 13:52, 11 December 2006

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. They live, on average, to three and a half years of age - the longest of any domestic hamster.

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 adult's thumb, they can easily squeeze through the bars of a standard hamster cage, and so careful consideration needs to be given to housing. Always ask pet shop owners or breeders what is the best ideal cage to use. Because of their size and speed, Roborovskis 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. The babies are fully weaned and can be removed from the mother at 4 weeks of age.

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

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 {{Taxobox
 | color = pink
-| name = Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster
+| name = Roborovski Hamster
-| image = Phodopus_sungorus2.jpg
+| image = My dwarf roborovski.JPG
-| image_width = 250px
+| image_width = 220px
 | regnum = [[Animal]]ia
-| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
+| phylum = [[Chordata]]
 | classis = [[Mammal]]ia
 | ordo = [[Rodent]]ia
-| subordo = [[Myomorpha]]
-| superfamilia = [[Muroidea]]
 | familia = [[Cricetidae]]
 | subfamilia = [[Cricetinae]]
 | genus = ''[[Phodopus]]''
-| species = '''''P. sungorus'''''
+| species = '''''P. roborovski'''''
-| binomial = ''Phodopus sungorus''
+| binomial = ''Phodopus roborovski''
-| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
+| binomial_authority = ([[K. A Satunin|Satunin]], 1903)
-| subdivision =
-''Phodopus sungorus sungorus''
-(see text)
 }}
-'''Winter White Russian hamsters''' are a species of [[hamster]] in the genus ''[[Phodopus]]''.  They are typically half the size of the better-known [[Syrian hamster]], and therefore called dwarf hamsters along with all ''Phodopus'' species. Features include a typically thick dark gray dorsal stripe and furry feet. The tail is so short that it hardly shows when the hamster is sitting. As winter approaches and the days get shorter, Winter Whites' dark fur greys until it is almost completely white (hence the name). In the wild, this adaptation helps them evade predators in the snow covered Steppes of winter. They live mainly in [[Siberia]] and are also found in [[Dzungaria]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Mongolia]] and [[Manchuria]].
-Up until recently, it was debated whether the Winter White hamster was a [[sub-species]] of the [[Campbell's dwarf hamster|Campbell's]] (''Phodopus campbelli'') or not; however, it has now been proven that the Winter whites are of their own species, ''Phodopus sungorus''.
+'''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. They live, on average, to three and a half years of age - the longest of any domestic hamster.
-==Winter White Russian hamsters as pets==
+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 adult's thumb, they can easily squeeze through the bars of a standard hamster cage, and so careful consideration needs to be given to housing. Always ask pet shop owners or breeders what is the best ideal cage to use. Because of their size and speed, Roborovskis are best for people who prefer to observe rather than to play with their pet.
-They are often found on the [[pet]] market, in [[Europe]] and [[Asia]] more so than in the [[United States|U.S.]]. They are rarely found in pet stores in Canada. Care is similar to that of the Campbell's [[hamster]]. Winter White hamsters generally make excellent pets.  However, a larger Syrian [[hamster]] would be more suitable for younger children as they can be handled more clumsily. Winter White hamsters should not be fed food containing sources of [[monosaccharide]]s because of the risk of developing [[diabetes mellitus]].
-Winter Whites, in common with the Dwarf Campbells Russian hamster are sociable and will live together peacefully with others of their own species but are best introduced at a young age and will require a sufficiently large cage to ensure they live together happily.
+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.
-In general, dwarf hamsters typically have more of a family structure than the Syrian hamster.  Dwarf hamsters will happily live in mated pairs, with both male and female caring for the young.  Some report that same-sex pairs and larger groups don't always get along well and frequent fighting may occur and be a great distress for them, or even lead to deadly incidents.
+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.  The babies are fully weaned and can be removed from the mother at 4 weeks of age.
-Winter White hamsters are available in either their normal (dark brownish grey colouring) or sapphire (blue grey colouring).  A white pattern called pearl (white with coloured hairs) can be added to either colour to produce the normal pearl or sapphire pearl.  However, these colors may be difficult to find, and the number of available colors is much smaller than in the dwarf Campbell's hamster.
+==External links==
+*[http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/roborovski_hamsters.htm Pet Web Site (formerly The Complete Hamster Site) section on Roborovski Hamsters]
-Winter White hamsters, also called Siberian hamsters, come from the steppes of Siberia and Kazakhstan and possess an adaptation not seen in Campbell's; they can moult into a white winter coat.  This camouflages them against the snow and also gives them their name.
-This moulting is brought on by the amount of sunlight, if the hamster is kept in a dark environment, they will change into their "winter" coat.
-When in the winter coat, Winter Whites will become infertile.
-The average lifespan of the Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster is 1.5-2 years although they can live longer.
-[[Image:Phodopus_sungorus.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster, normal color]]
-== External links ==
-*[http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/dwarf_winter_white_russian_hamsters.htm Pet Web Site (formerly The Complete Hamster Site) section on Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamsters]
 *[http://www.hamster-heaven.com Hamster Heaven]
-*[http://www.xander.it/video.htm Xander.it] - Winter White video gallery
+*[http://roborovski.tk/ R&R Hamsters (a.k.a. Roborovski Hideout)]
-*[http://www.hamster-care.com/russian_dwarf_hamster.html russian dwarf info]
-*[http://www.furrycritters.co.uk FurryCritters]
 [[Category:Hamsters]]
-[[Category:Animals kept as pets]]
+[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]
-[[de:Dsungarischer Zwerghamster]]
+[[de:Roborowski-Zwerghamster]]
-[[es:Phodopus sungorus]]
+[[fr:Hamster de Roborovski]]
-[[fr:Hamster russe]]
+[[it:Phodopus roborovskii]]
-[[it:Phodopus sungorus]]
+[[ja:ロボロフスキーハムスター]]
-[[he:אוגר סיבירי]]
+[[pl:Chomik Roborowskiego]]
-[[nl:Russische dwerghamster]]
+[[fi:Roborovskinkääpiöhamsteri]]
-[[ja:ジャンガリアンハムスター]]
+[[zh:沙漠侏儒倉鼠]]
-[[pl:Chomik dżungarski]]
-[[fi:Venäjänkääpiöhamsteri]]
-[[zh:短尾侏儒倉鼠]]