Five Amazing Hamster Facts
There are a variety of amazing hamster facts that are sure to be highly entertaining as well as educational. Hamsters have become a very popular household pet in which cages can be designed to have more workout equipment than a fitness center and more tunnels than an underground sewer system. These hamster homes are like mansions for these furry little pets. Furthermore, many have clear balls to play in that act as their own mode of quick transportation around your house. Throughout this article we will explore the top five hamster facts that everyone should know.
Hamster fact #1: They are trainable.
Yes, it is true; you can train your hamster to come when you call its name. Furthermore, you can train them to ring a bell within their cage in order to receive food. Knowing this hamster fact allows us to better understand why scientists are frequently able to train rodents to do a wide variety of tasks within their cage, including work their way through a maze for food.
Hamster fact #2: They mass-produce.
Although hamsters are extremely small, they are actually able to carry up to twelve smaller hamsters at one time. Obviously their young are very small, but could you imagine a hamster being able to carry a dozen hamster pups (yes, this is the technical term) until labor? Oddly enough, some believe that you can manipulate whether a hamster has more male or female offspring based on the temperature in which the mother is kept during pregnancy; however, since this is not verified we will not consider it a concrete fact.
Hamster fact #3: They are visually impaired.
As with most animals, it is said that hamsters are color blind; however, they have more than that one visual impairment. Along with this, they are not able to see very far away; most hamsters are only able to see what is within six inches from their face. Six inches is a very short span of sight in comparison to how far away humans can see. Their depth perception is also incredibly low. However, despite their impairment, these hamsters are actually capable of remembering their relatives.
Hamster fact #4: They can be tame or wild.
These hamsters are not only bred and found within your local pet shop. Believe it or not, there are a variety of wild hamsters in the world. These hamsters tend to be active at night (which is also true for the domestic pets). During these periods of activity they can travel up to eight miles in a single night; that is a lot of traveling for such a small little creature.
Hamster fact #5: They are foreign.
Hamsters are actually native to parts of Asia and their name means “to hoard” in German, which is very appropriate since hamsters tend to place large amount of food in their cheeks. Furthermore, there are different names for female and male hamsters that are similar to deer names. Female hamsters are referred to as does, while male hamsters are called bucks.
As you can see, there are a variety of very interesting hamster facts that make these creatures quite unique. The hamster facts listed above are only a few of several that are known. Others include their diet, history (including move from wild to domestication), species, lifespan, and much more. Many people who have hamsters as their pets are unaware of these very interesting facts that may be beneficial when raising a hamster as a pet. How impressive would it be to train your hamster to come when it hears his or her name? These creatures are very intelligent and make great pets.
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