The Syrian hamster has its origin in the Middle East in the areas of Syria and Israel where it lived in freedom. Its domestication began in 1930 when a zoologist found a female with 12 cubs in the Aleppo desert. At present, the wild Syrian hamster is classified as an endangered animal .
Its name comes from the German word “hamstern”, which means “to store” alluding to how they keep food in their cheeks. These rodents are usually around 13 centimeters in length (it is larger than its cousin the Russian hamster) and the females are always larger than the males. This species of hamster is chubby, has a very short tail and petal-shaped ears. The Syrian hamster is also known as the golden hamster because it is the original color of the wild specimens of the Aleppo desert.
In the wild and in captivity these little furry ones are very territorial . Females will only tolerate being around males when they have to mate and when that time passes they will want to attack them. Even the young once they reach 10 weeks of age must be isolated. These rodents are solitary, both in nature and in a cage they have to be separated from other animals even of the same species. Of course, with their human owners they can form good bonds of trust.
They are nocturnal animals but in captivity they get used to waking up during the day to do some activity or play with the accessories in their cage. In the wild they dig burrows up to 10 meters long and a meter deep. These tunnels will have rooms designed for sleeping, storing food and other activities. If you put cardboard tubes, houses and different games in the cage, it will thank you and keep it exercised.
Do you like Syrian hamsters? If you want to know more curiosities about them, we invite you to continue reading because below we leave you 15 interesting facts about these adorable rodents that will surprise you (for good).
