Hamsters

species is regarded as critically endangered. It has

rather an aggressive nature and is not kept as a pet.

The Syrian hamster’s official Latin name is

Mesocricetus auratus

, a very long name for such a

little creature. It is more correct to call them Syrian

rather than Golden hamsters because there is now

a wide variation in coat colors available, not just

the original wild type golden coat. They belong to a

family of rodents called the Myomorpha, which also

includes mice, rats, gerbils, lemmings, and voles.

The word hamster comes from the German word

hamstern

meaning to hoard. This very accurately

describes a key behavior of these animals.

The hamster’s natural environment is the dry

rocky areas and scrubby slopes of the mountains

around Aleppo. They live in deep burrows which

each individual constructs as its own home. These

burrows are about 80 inches (200 cm) long and 30

inches (65 cm) deep and have several tunnels and

chambers. They stay in these cool burrows during

the day, thus avoiding the heat and dryness of the

surface. Hamsters quickly overheat and will die at

temperatures of 97˚F (36˚C). Hamsters are very

tidy creatures and will use different parts of their

burrow system for different activities. One part will

be used as a latrine (toilet), another for their food

and another for their sleeping and resting area,

Hamsters