Large hamsters: breeds, appearance, care and maintenance

Appearance of the largest animal

Nowadays, many breeds of hamsters have been developed. They differ from each other in color, fluffiness, and size. Some of them lead an active lifestyle, others are more passive. Therefore, choosing any breed is quite difficult.

The breed of the largest hamster in the world is called Karbysh, or common hamster. Body length is 32-35 cm. There are specimens with completely black fur, and only white spots may be located on the paws. The muzzle of this breed is slightly elongated. The ears are small. The fingers have fairly sharp claws.

Representatives of the Syrian breed are considered large, their size reaches 35 cm. Unlike capybaras, they get along well with people. These pets have a beautiful color; few animals have this color in nature. It is golden, reddish and peachy. Syrian hamsters are considered the most beautiful.

Through selection, animals of almost any color, as well as multicolored ones, were obtained. They are most in demand among pets.

Representatives of the Radde breed are considered the fattest of all existing representatives of the genus. Their weight can reach up to 600 g. Height is about 30 cm. Outwardly, they are a little reminiscent of the Syrian species. Not recommended for keeping at home.

The skin is brown in color; darker areas may be present. The cheeks are plump. There are light spots on the paws and sides. Vision is weak, but it is compensated by a good sense of smell and hearing.

The biggest hamster

The large animal reaches a length of 35 cm, and the weight of the hamster can be up to 1 kg. It is this kind of animal that is considered a pest in the garden, as it surrounds the beds and collects supplies for the winter. The plumpest hamster can dig a hole up to 8 meters long. In it he puts food in special compartments.

But even such an animal cannot compare with the huge capybara, which looks like a rodent. Its height reaches 0.6 meters and length 1.4 meters. At the same time, an adult rodent weighs 34-66 kg. The animal can be found in Central and South America.

And the smallest hamster belongs to the Roborovsky breed. They are only 5-6 cm long.

Deception or truth

Among all this diversity, the capybara stands out, which many classify as hamsters. It is mistakenly considered the largest representative of this species. But it belongs to the capybara genus. The animal only vaguely resembles a hamster, which causes errors. Capybaras are quite trainable. They are often kept at home by residents of South America. A very large hamster is an animal from the category of myths.

Capybara with a cat

How to contact?

Gaining trust will take patience and time. All the efforts expended will subsequently be more than repaid, since the pet will soon begin to show affection and boundless trust. So, what not to do:

make rough and sudden movements with your hands close to your pet;
pick up a sleeping or recently awakened animal;
cover with your palms, trying to catch;
make loud noises near the cage;
leave the rodent on high ground;
grab the scruff of the neck with your fingers;
Trying to introduce a furry cat to a cat would be a fatal mistake.

It is recommended to constantly talk to the animal, give treats from your hands and treat it affectionately.

Features of behavior

The habits of the largest hamsters have their own characteristics. Such rodents are difficult to tame. The remaining, smaller specimens can live next to humans, creating almost no problems.

If there is a choice, it is best to choose males for home keeping: they are less aggressive than females. If there are several animals, then they should be kept separately. In nature, individuals do not live in pairs or flocks. Together, the female and male unite only for the duration of mating. After this period ends, conflicts often arise between them, which can result in injuries on both sides.

The optimal cage size for a hamster is 40x60 cm, and the wheel should be 16 cm in diameter. In this case, the pet will sit comfortably in the cage. The animal must have a house in which it will stay during the day.

Consequences

Many people believe that fat pets cause affection because of their clubfoot, however, it is worth knowing that obesity in individuals of the hamster order can have serious consequences. These include:

heart failure;
thrombus formation;
disruption of the functioning of the digestive system;
other diseases.

The lifespan of hamsters is already not very long, and if extra pounds are added to the baby’s other problems, it begins to shrink altogether. Even if it does not cause life-threatening diseases, the pet’s well-being will be extremely disappointing.

Large specimens for home keeping

Djungarian and Syrian hamsters are most suitable for living at home. They, like other breeds of this species, are clean. They wait out the entire daylight period in the hole and only come out at nightfall. Large hamsters of the Karbysh and Radde breeds remain wild, meaning they can bite. And given that this animal’s teeth are quite sharp, the consequences for the owner can be disastrous.

The Karbysh breed, settling next to humans, creates many problems. Summer residents really do not like these animals, despite their cute appearance. Just a couple of individuals can completely deprive the owner of hope for a good harvest. All the grains that are attractive to the animal will migrate from the garden to the personal pantry. The proximity of this species does not cause delight among gardeners, despite the fact that wild hamsters can feed on insects and destroy them in their summer cottage.

Rodents store large reserves of food in their burrows. The problem with keeping large breeds of hamsters is that they create winter reserves weighing from 15 to 20 kg. In an apartment it is quite difficult to provide such an opportunity.

It is necessary to care for large individuals belonging to the Syrian breed, taking into account their characteristics. The cage for them must be chosen in a large size. This also applies to the wheel in which the pet will run. For such animals, it is necessary to purchase a cage with bars, not a plastic one. The distance between the bars should be such that the animal does not stick parts of its body through the bars.

Most hamsters lead an active lifestyle, but only at night. The animal must run up to 12 km per day. It is quite difficult to provide such loads in a cage. That's why the wheel was invented. Special balls are also used. While in them, the animal is able to move around the apartment quite quickly.

In nature, in addition to grains, hamsters can eat worms and snakes. We are talking about wild breeds. In urban conditions, it is quite difficult to provide such a diet. Store-bought hamster food does not meet these needs. Domesticated breeds do well on plant-based foods.

These can be beets, lettuce, tomatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, dandelion grass. Caring for a hamster, which is a wild species, is quite complicated.

How to get rid of obesity?

Fat, clumsy hamsters need to review the food they eat and the feeding system in general. Do not forget that the maximum daily dose of balanced food for crumbs is two spoons, characterized as tablespoons. Hamsters develop habits quickly, so it is recommended to feed them small portions at the same time. In order for your pet’s diet to be balanced, it is necessary:

reduce the amount of grain consumed by the animal;
add vegetables, fruits, berries in small quantities to the main products;
reduce the number of nuts in the feed.

In addition, it is worth reconsidering the number of accessories intended for organizing the animal’s leisure time placed in the cage. Among them must be:

What if it's not really fat?

www.wallarthd.com/

If your beloved beautiful hamster suddenly gets fat, and neither exercise nor a healthy diet helps her, think about it! What if it’s not a matter of obesity at all, it’s just that a charming addition of 10-12 babies will soon appear in your cozy hamster house?

And most importantly: try not to overdo it in trying to make your pet's life better. You shouldn’t hide food so that he can’t find it, feed him nothing but cucumbers, or torment him with daily five-hour training sessions! After all, a little swelling never hurt anyone, right?

Let's start with something simple - if you are sure that your pet's diet is balanced, he gets enough vegetables and greens, and also regularly exercises on a wheel, then there is no need to worry. But be honest, don’t you spoil him with something tasty from time to time? Or sometimes you’re just too lazy to let him out of the cage and you hope that the hamster will entertain himself? Here you go. It seems it's time to take action.

To check concerns, contact your veterinarian. He will easily determine the danger of a hamster's weight to life, based on the age and breed of the pet.

So, for a Syrian hamster, a healthy weight is considered to be 12 grams for every centimeter of length. An adult healthy pet weighs about 200 grams. This figure is different for each breed. Dwarf and Djungarian hamsters are much smaller.

christinayong960207.files.wordpress.com

Don't forget that hamsters, like people, tend to lose weight as they age. The older the pet gets, the lighter it should be.

Varieties [edit]

In addition to subspecies similar to ordinary purebred hamsters, gnomes have bred many exotic variations. Among them:

Saber-toothed giant space hamster
Invisible Giant Space Hamster (can become visible once per day, a mockery of the system's standard invisibility ability)
Predatory flying giant space hamster
Two-headed Lernaean giant space hamster bombardier

Intelligent species[edit]

The fire-breathing phase giant space hamster dopelganger (abbreviated FBPDGSH) is not only capable of breathing fire up to 10 meters, teleporting and taking the form of any mammal of its size, but also skillfully uses these abilities. The creators responded about their creation as follows:

We don’t understand what upset you so much, given that biology is an inexact science, and for every step forward you need to take two steps back, and in general, we apologized, and, by the way, when will funding resume so that we can pay a deposit and go home ?

The giant space hamster of ill omen is also known among dwarves as Rupert the Furry. This is a one-of-a-kind legendary creature of titanic size, possessing outstanding intelligence and magical abilities. He does not tolerate gnomes, preferring to crush them to death when meeting them. Dwarves everywhere are terrified of the wrath of Mossy Rupert, although they try to hide it.

Miniature giant space hamsters are not noted to have intelligence, but Boo from Baldur's Gate is likely intelligent.

Source

Character and training

Angora hamsters have a gentle character, this is their main advantage. Fluffy hamsters are friendly towards people and get along with children. If you believe the reviews of the owners of cute creatures, they can follow the voice of the owner if he often communicates with the baby. To tame an Angora hamster, do not hesitate to talk to him. After he is no longer afraid of you, carefully pick him up.

If you buy a baby at the age of 1.5-2 months and immediately begin training, he will very quickly get used to the tray and also master other skills.

The Angora hamster is a very gentle and vulnerable creature, so try not to scream in his presence, but behave calmly. Despite this, Angora rodents are very brave, so from the first meetings they are not afraid of humans. They are funny: to cheer yourself up, watch your baby’s behavior during the period of his activity.

Habitat

In nature, the largest hamster in the world lives in steppe and forest-steppe zones, which are located in the south of Europe; animals also live in the west of Siberia, in the northern part of Kazakhstan. It is not uncommon for individuals to choose much more northern territories as their habitat. The animal's favorite habitat is the outskirts of fields and vegetable gardens. It often happens that common hamsters are found in Moscow near the Moscow River and forested areas. It is not yet possible to determine the exact number of rodents within the city.

In the Moscow region, individuals of this species have not survived. The main reason for this is:

construction of buildings near rodent habitats;
overgrowing of meadows;
destruction of burrows of representatives of this species by people.

Popular Misconceptions

If you start wondering which hamster is the largest in the world, you will most likely come across the statement that it is a capybara. Capybaras are vaguely reminiscent of hamsters in appearance: they are large rodents covered with brown fur. But in fact, these animals have nothing to do with hamsters. Yes, they are also rodents and are sometimes kept as pets, but that's where the similarities end.

The capybara is the world's largest rodent. Capybaras belong to the capybara family and are naturally distributed in Central and South America. An adult can reach up to 135 cm in length and weigh up to 50 kg. Individuals were recorded weighing 91 kg. These rodents have webbed fingers. They feed on aquatic plants. These animals love water very much. They can even sleep in it with their nose sticking out to the surface. Life expectancy in captivity can reach 12 years. These animals are easily tamed and love communication and affection. The capybara can be taught to perform certain commands and tricks.

Peppermint treat

Ingredients:

1 medium overripe banana.
2 chicken eggs.
3 tbsp. spoons of honey.
3 tbsp. tablespoons of liquid coconut oil (can be replaced with sunflower oil in the same amount).
1/2 teaspoon mint flavoring.
1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
A quarter cup of carob (roasted carob powder). A small amount of cocoa can be substituted, but this is not recommended for animals. Therefore, try to find an original product.
Oat flour.

Cooking procedure.

1. Mash the banana in a bowl.

2. Beat eggs into the resulting mass, add honey, baking powder, cinnamon and coconut (sunflower) oil.

3. Add oatmeal to the mixture to form a firm but slightly moist dough.

4. Divide the resulting volume into 2 equal parts.

5. Pour 1/4 cup of carob powder into one half, and add the same amount of flour to the second half. A hard lump should form that does not stick to your hands.

6. Roll out 2 rectangles, 9-10 mm thick.

7. Place the layers of dough on top of each other and roll along the long side. Wrap the resulting sausage in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

8. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

9. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

10. Remove the film and cut into 3-3.5 cm rounds.

11. Place on a baking sheet. During cooking, portions of dough will not increase in volume, so you can place them close to each other.

12. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

If you want to please your pet with a crunchier treat, cut the rolls into thin slices (about 1 cm), and after cooking, additionally dry them in a warm oven or even in a non-stick frying pan.

The finished product is stored for a long time in a dry place. So, by baking peppermint rolls once, you can treat your four-legged pupil with them for a long time.

Bon appetit to your dog!

I like it I don't like it

Fact No. 10. A married pair of hamsters can give birth to up to 24 babies at a time!

Hamsters are born in spring and summer, and in most cases their number does not exceed 7-8 individuals. But there are cases when one couple had 24 cubs at once! Can you imagine this crowd?

Video about the ideal playground for a hamster:

OK it's all over Now. There is only one thing left to add - each hamster is unique and has its own character and habits. The owners probably noticed special oddities about their pet, which only added to its funniness. What can you tell us about your pet?

People learned to tame animals thousands of years ago, they observed their behavior, instincts, habits and used this information to better understand our smaller brothers. Now we can use such information, for example, interesting facts about hamsters, to find a common language with our pet. Hamsters are now quite popular as pets, but are our views similar to them?

Perhaps one of the most interesting topics to discuss about hamsters is their vision of the world. The very existence of such a question raises the assumption that our views differ. This is actually true.

Hamsters are highly myopic

Now let's figure it out one by one, how do hamsters see? Since these animals show their main activity at night due to natural predators, they do not need well-developed daytime vision. Hamsters have highly developed myopia; they see relatively clearly only nearby objects, while the rest of the world is blurred and only outlines can be discerned.

This way they can navigate well and not collide with anything (all attention is directed to a small area of the terrain)

As for light perception, it is developed rather poorly, the shades of red day are indistinguishable, but orange and green are quite. This feature appeared due to the need to get food for themselves at night, so if you want to impress a hamster, add yellow and green tones to their life.

Here's a small example of how hamsters see:

A hamster's mustache also helps them understand the world.

Many animals mark their territory, hamsters are one of them, for this they need special scent glands that emit a specific smell. Tubules extend from the glands, through which this smell then spreads. Usually the animals mark the bedding and bars of the cage, but if the owners are not careful, the animal will also mark the furniture and carpets where it often roams.

They will not explore the same territory all the time; they will rather remember it and notice individual changes. By the way, if you dim the lights while walking your hamster, he will be much more comfortable.

Lifestyle of the Malagasy giant rat

Malagasy giants live in burrows, which typically consist of a network of tunnels, each about 45 centimeters in diameter and 5 meters in length, located at a depth of about 1 meter. One family group, consisting of a pair of animals and their offspring, represented by females, settles in such a shelter.

Vaolavo is a large mammal of the order of rodents.

The family lives on an area of three to four hectares. But in the dry season, with a lack of food, the territory expands. The boundaries are strictly controlled and marked with urine, feces and glandular secretions. Burrows are intended not only for breeding, but also for protection from predators, cold, heavy rain, and for daytime sleep.

The Madagascar giant hamster occupies the same ecological niche on the island as the wild rabbit.

Pairs form for life, but if a partner dies, he is replaced by another individual within a few days or weeks. Giant Malagasy giant rats leave their burrow only at dusk, going out alone or in pairs to search for food on the forest floor.

Syrian

The golden king of children's hearts. The second most popular species is the Syrian hamster. This species is medium-sized and much larger: the body length is considered to be 12 cm, but there are individuals up to 20 cm tall (this is the largest hamster among pets). The usual color is golden (reddish, peach). Often, for marketing purposes, sellers call this breed Royal, and the name Yellow Hamster is found. Many consider it the most beautiful breed.

Killer hamsters - horror in the cage

The hamster is a territorial animal, so it considers every other hamster its enemy. Even domesticated hamsters have a very strong survival instinct. Even if you place 2 rodents in a large spacious cage and provide them with food, one representative will still most likely be killed by the other. Hissing and growling are some of the signs that a confrontation will begin. Very often, if the female and the offspring from the male are not resettled in time, he kills them.

The most famous killer hamster is the Scorpio. He hunts scorpions and tarantulas and is not afraid of them at all.

How much does a hamster weigh

The weight of a hamster depends on the breed and lifestyle. You can check how much a hamster weighs; it is best to use an electronic scale for this. They weigh it the same way as any other thing (just put it on the scales). But it is better for the pet to sit still.

Rodent weight table:

Syrian	100 - 200 grams
Dzungarian	35 - 65 g
Roborovsky	20 - 40 g
Campbell	40 - 60 g
Chinese	40 - 50 g
Radde (wild)	500 - 700 g

Reproduction

Females become sexually mature at the age of two, and males from 2 to 3 years, and under particularly favorable conditions from 18 months. The mating season takes place during the rainy season from December to March or April. At this time, there is a lot of food available, so the offspring have an increased chance of survival.

During the year, giant hamsters are able to raise cubs only once. Pregnancy lasts from 105 to 135 days. The female brings 1-2 babies in her underground home. They are born naked and blind.

Milk feeding lasts about 5 weeks. Being 35-40 days old, they leave the hole for the first time and go out with their parents in search of food.