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

Revision as of 23:16, 2 April 2007

The Syrian Hamster or Golden Hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, is the best known member of the rodent subfamily Cricetinae, the hamsters. In the wild they are now considered endangered ^&, 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.

Biology

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 hoarders; they use their cheek pouches to transport food to their burrows. Their name in the local 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.

Syrian hamster filling its cheek pouches with dandelion leaves.

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.

Most hamsters in American and British pet stores are Syrian Hamsters. Originally, Syrian Hamsters came in just one colour — the mixture of brown, black, and gold which gave them their "Golden" name — but they have since developed a myriad of colour 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-coloured 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". The fur on a long-haired hamster is thick and fluffy, like a cotton wool, rather than the velvety feel of short-haired fur. For this reason, people who are not allergic to short-haired hamsters can be allergic to long-hairs. 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-coloured 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 colour. However, in current stock, this may or may not still be the case.

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.

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 patterns that are readily observed, including scent-marking. They are particularly used in airway and respiratory physiology research.

Discovery

Albino hamster

In 1839 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.

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 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.

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.

Surviving in the wild

In the beginning of the 20th century, the Syrian golden hamster was considered to be virtually extinct in the wild by unknown reason until Professor Aharoni collected one female and her 12 broods in Aleppo.^& After that some later sightings and captures were reported. Since the 1980s this species was not seen in the wild, until two expeditions were carried out during September 1997 and March 1999 to confirm the current existence of the wild golden hamster in northern Syria. The researchers mapped 30 burrows. None of the inhabited burrows contained more than one adult. They caught six females and seven males. One female was pregnant and gave birth to six pups. All these 19 caught wild golden hamsters, together with three wild individuals from the University of Aleppo, were shipped to Germany to form a new breeding stock.^&

Gallery

100 983.jpg

A Golden Hamster
Golden Hamster

References

↑ Template:IUCN2006 Listed as Endangered (EN B1+2c v2.3)
↑ Hochman B, Ferreira LM, Vilas Bôas FC, Mariano M. Experimental model in hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) to study heterologous graft of scars and cutaneous diseases in plastic surgery. Acta Cir Bras [serial online] 2004 Vol 19 Special Edition. Online pdf
↑ Gattermann et al. 2001. Notes on the current distribution and the ecology of wild golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Journal of Zoology, 254: 359-365 (Cambridge University Press). Online abstract

External links

Genome information
Petwebsite Entry on Syrians
The River Road Hamstery- Very good information on hamster breeding, especially for coat types
The Hamster Society
Rabbits N' Rodents
RaztheHamster - Syrian Hamster Gallery
[1] - Hamster site with very good, active forum on all aspects of hamster care

bg:Златист хамстер da:Guldhamstere de:Goldhamster fr:Hamster doré it:Mesocricetus auratus he:אוגר זהוב nl:Goudhamster ja:ゴールデンハムスター nn:Syrisk hamster pl:Chomik syryjski fi:Kultahamsteri sv:Guldhamster zh:敘利亞倉鼠

[1] Template:IUCN2006 Listed as Endangered (EN B1+2c v2.3)

[Hochman-2] Hochman B, Ferreira LM, Vilas Bôas FC, Mariano M. Experimental model in hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) to study heterologous graft of scars and cutaneous diseases in plastic surgery. Acta Cir Bras [serial online] 2004 Vol 19 Special Edition. Online pdf

[Gattermann-3] Gattermann et al. 2001. Notes on the current distribution and the ecology of wild golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Journal of Zoology, 254: 359-365 (Cambridge University Press). Online abstract

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&

&

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Image:54986main_mouse_med.jpg|thumb|270px|right|White fancy mouse]]
+{{Taxobox
+| color = pink
+| name = Syrian or Golden Hamster
+| status = EN
+| status_system = iucn2.3
+| image = Golden_hamster_front_1.jpg
+| image_width = 250px
+| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
+| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
+| subphylum = [[Vertebrate|Vertebrata]]
+| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
+| ordo = [[Rodent]]ia
+| subordo = [[Myomorpha]]
+| superfamilia = [[Muroidea]]
+| familia = [[Cricetidae]]
+| subfamilia = [[Cricetinae]]
+| genus = ''[[Mesocricetus]]''
+| species = '''''M. auratus'''''
+| binomial = ''Mesocricetus auratus''
+| binomial_authority = [[George Robert Waterhouse|Waterhouse]], 1839
+}}
-'''Fancy mice''' ("fancy", in this context, means "hobby") are domesticated versions of the common or house mouse (''[[Mus musculus]]'').
+The '''Syrian Hamster''' or '''Golden Hamster''', ''Mesocricetus auratus'', is the best known member of the [[rodent]] [[subfamily]] [[Cricetinae]], the [[hamster]]s.  In the wild they are now considered endangered <ref>{{IUCN2006|assessors=Baillie|year=1996|id=13219|title=Mesocricetus auratus|downloaded=09 May 2006}} Listed as Endangered (EN B1+2c v2.3)</ref>, 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.
-==Physical description==
+==Biology==
-Fancy mice is a term to describe mice that have been selectively bred for pet or for show. They can vary greatly in size, from small pet mice that are approximately 16-18 cm (6 inches or so) long from nose to the tip of the tail, to show mice that measure 30cm (12 inches) nose to tail. Pet mice weigh about 25-40 g but large show mice can weigh up to 100g. As fancy mice have a different process of [[natural selection]] than their wild cousins, they come in a variety of colours and patterns. These include black, chocolate, blue, white, cream, lilac, red, fawn, champagne, cinnamon, golden agouti, silver agouti, silver and dove. Female mice are called does and males are called bucks. If well cared for, a mouse lives for around 2 years on average, with some reaching 3 years old.
+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.
+[[Image:Hamst08082002.JPG|thumb|left|Syrian hamster filling its cheek pouches with dandelion leaves.]]
+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.
-==Mice as pets==
+Most hamsters in American and British pet stores are Syrian Hamsters.  Originally, Syrian Hamsters came in just one colour — the mixture of brown, black, and gold which gave them their "Golden" name — but they have since developed a myriad of colour 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-coloured 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". The fur on a long-haired hamster is thick and fluffy, like a cotton wool, rather than the velvety feel of short-haired fur. For this reason, people who are not allergic to short-haired hamsters can be allergic to long-hairs.  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-coloured 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 colour.  However, in current stock, this may or may not still be the case.
-[[Image:Fancy Mouse.jpg|thumb|left|A tame black fancy mouse]]
-Mice are kept as pets in many countries for a number of reasons. Fancy mice are small, inexpensive, clean (though they have a tendency to defecate and urinate all over their rodent wheels), and generally have a good [[temperament]]. Female mice are popular with many owners since they tend to cohabitate with other mice better than males. Additionally, the urine of female fancy mice does not contain as strong of an odor as that of the male mice. Bucks can fight with each other, unless they are introduced at a very young age, and they produce urine with a strong, musky smell. Some people, however, prefer the personality and curiosity of male mice. It is a good idea to keep fancy mice in groups of at least two if possible, as mice are sociable animals. However, if a buck and a doe of breeding age are put in the same cage they will produce a new litter every three weeks until separated.
-==Caging==
+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.
-Mice should be kept in well-ventilated areas. Fish tanks or cages with bars and plastic flooring make good housing. Give attention that the distance between the bars is under 9mm. It is a problem for young mice to force themselves through a cage with wider bars, and it's dangerous when they get stuck there.
-The best products for in-cage bedding are aspen wood shavings or a commercial paper-based material. Despite popular belief, mice can be given newspaper for nesting, as the ink is soy based and nontoxic. They should not be given [[cedar|cedar shavings]], as the oils in the wood are unhealthy. Small hide-aways and toys (such as a [[cardboard]] tube) are good to have in the cage. Commercial toys are also available.
+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.
-[[Cat]] owners must also take special precautions to ensure that the mouse's housing is secure, as even the friendliest of domestic cats have been known to torment, kill and eat fancy mice if given the chance.
+== Discovery ==
-==Feeding==
+[[Image:hamster.jpg|thumb|right|Albino hamster]]
-Food for fancy mice is relatively inexpensive. [[Veterinarian]]s generally recommend a product called [[lab block]], a scientifically-formulated blend originally designed for mice in laboratories. Dry [[dog food]] is another good option when lab block is unavailable, as it offers balanced nutrition for a mouse and helps keep their teeth conditioned. Special mouse food found in pet stores also makes a good diet. In order to keep variety in their diets, mice can also eat oats, oily seeds, clean [[egg shell]], breakfast cereal, and [[stale bread]]. Fruit and vegetables can be offered occasionally. They should also have clean water at all times and some sort of chewing wood in order to keep their teeth from growing too long. Wood found outdoors may not be safe, but many products are available from pet stores to satisfy the chewing instinct.
+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.
-==Breeding mice==
+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.
-It is important to consider [[breeding]] carefully and thoughtfully due to the rapid reproduction rate of mice. Adequate housing for the young should be available.
-Female mice should not be bred before 12 weeks or after 8 months; doing so can be very dangerous, and some mice can die while giving birth. Bucks and does should be housed in separate enclosures until breeding is desired, at which point they can be placed together. The doe should be placed in the buck's enclosure, otherwise the doe will fight with the buck to defend her territory. Does come into [[estrus|heat]] around every five days, so the pair can be kept together for up to ten days.
+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.
-[[Image:Mice 24 Nov 2004.jpg|thumb|Baby Mice.]]
-A pregnant mouse will grow very round near the time of birth. The [[gestation]] period is approximately 18 to 21 days. Typical [[litter (animal)|litter]] size is 4 to 12 young, though it can be less or more. It is best to remove the buck otherwise he will mate with the female as soon as the first litter is born, putting a huge strain on the mother, the unborn litter, and the new babies.
+==Surviving in the wild==
+In the beginning of the 20th century, the Syrian golden hamster was considered to be virtually extinct in the wild by unknown reason until Professor Aharoni collected one female and her 12 broods in [[Aleppo]].<ref name="Hochman">Hochman B, Ferreira LM, Vilas Bôas FC, Mariano M. Experimental model in hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) to study heterologous graft of scars and cutaneous diseases in plastic surgery. Acta Cir Bras [serial online] 2004 Vol 19 Special Edition. [http://www.scielo.br/pdf/acb/v19s1/v19s1a12.pdf Online pdf]</ref> After that some later sightings and captures were reported. Since the 1980s this species was not seen in the wild, until two expeditions were carried out during September [[1997]] and March [[1999]] to confirm the current existence of the wild golden hamster in northern [[Syria]]. The researchers mapped 30 burrows. None of the inhabited burrows contained more than one adult. They caught six females and seven males. One female was pregnant and gave birth to six pups. All these 19 caught wild golden hamsters, together with three wild individuals from the University of Aleppo, were shipped to [[Germany]] to form a new breeding stock.<ref name="Gattermann">Gattermann et al. 2001. Notes on the current distribution and the ecology of wild golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Journal of Zoology, 254: 359-365 (Cambridge University Press). [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=78463 Online abstract]</ref>
-Baby mice, also called [[pup]]s, are born [[Blindness|blind]], naked, and [[deaf]]. Their eyes are closed and their ears are stuck to the sides of their heads. After giving birth the mother should be left alone for a while, otherwise she might panic and eat the pups. She might also eat any [[dead]] or sickly offspring.
+==Gallery==
+<gallery>
+Image:100_983.jpg|A Golden Hamster
+Image:Golden_hamster_side_1.jpg|Golden Hamster
-Pups begin to grow hair at two to four days. Ears open at three to five days, and the pups will start [[vocalization|vocalizing]]. Eyes open at 14 days, and the babies will start exploring the world around them. At three weeks old they look like miniature versions of adult mice. At four to five weeks the pups should be separated from each other, otherwise they will breed with their siblings.
+</gallery>
-My Pet Fancy Mice
+==See also==
-I had two pet fancy mice at home. I am eleven years old and I want you to see what a child thinks about these pets. My two pet fancy mice, Princess and Delaney were great for me. I think they taught be responsibility and care. I had to play with them and protect them, watch out for them, and share them. I found that mice were interesting at a very young age. I then saved up all my money and bought all the neccesities and supplies with a little bit extra. I set up all the things at home, then the next day, I took home what would soon be my new best friends. Not to think that "Ha! Her best friend is a mouse. What can mice do? What friends can mice make?" I admit truthfully that I AM and I WAS popular at school, but as quoted "Animals make such agreeable friends: they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." It speaks for itself. Please, pay attention to my article, don't ignore it. This is a message written out of a child's heart.
+*[[Hamster]]
-==Mice clubs==
+==References==
-Many fancy mice clubs have been set up around the globe. Shows are also held so owners can display their mice, where they are judged on color and behavior.
+<references/>
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.fancymice.info Fancy Mice]
+*[http://www.syrianhamster.com Syrian Hamster]
-*[http://www.rmca.org Rat & Mouse Club of America]
+*[http://www.hamster-heaven.com Hamster Heaven]
-*[http://www.miceandrats.com/miceas.htm Mice as Pets]
+*[http://www.hamsterific.com Hamsterific.com]
-*Varieties of [http://www.miceandrats.com/standmic.htm Fancy Mice]
-*[http://www.nationalmouseclub.co.uk National Mouse Club]
-*[http://www.dmrm.de Mouse Club of Germany]
-*[http://www.svemus.org Swedish Mouse Club]
-*[http://mus.ifokus.se Swedish Mouse Community]
-*[http://midwestmouseclub.org Midwest Mouse Club (US)]
-*[http://pzhmmr.w.interia.pl/ Polish Mouse Club ]
-{{Pet Species}}
+*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=10036&lvl=3&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock Genome information]
+*[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
+*[http://www.hamsoc.org.uk/varieties.php The Hamster Society]
+*[http://www.rabbitsnrodents.com/hamsters.htm/ Rabbits N' Rodents]
+*[http://www.razthehamster.com/gallery RaztheHamster] - Syrian Hamster Gallery
+*[http://www.hamsterhideout.com] - Hamster site with very good, active forum on all aspects of hamster care
-[[Category:Pet rodents]]
+[[Category:Hamsters]]
+[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]
-[[de:Farbmaus]]
+[[bg:Златист хамстер]]
-[[fi:Kesyhiiri]]
+[[da:Guldhamstere]]
+[[de:Goldhamster]]
+[[fr:Hamster doré]]
+[[it:Mesocricetus auratus]]
+[[he:אוגר זהוב]]
+[[nl:Goudhamster]]
+[[ja:ゴールデンハムスター]]
+[[nn:Syrisk hamster]]
+[[pl:Chomik syryjski]]
+[[fi:Kultahamsteri]]
+[[sv:Guldhamster]]
+[[zh:敘利亞倉鼠]]