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Habitat

Appearance

Reproduction

Diet

Threats

Phylogeny

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Analogous structures

Homologous structures

References

Bibliography

External links

Squirrel glider

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Flying squirrel.

Squirrel glider

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)

[1]

Scientific classification

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Infraclass: Marsupialia

Order: Diprotodontia

Family: Petauridae

Genus: Petaurus

Species: P. norfolcensis

Binomial name

Petaurus norfolcensis

(Kerr, 1792)

distribution
The squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) is a nocturnal gliding possum.[2] The

squirrel glider is one of the wrist-winged gliders of the genus Petaurus.[3]

Habitat

[edit]

This species' home range extends from Bordertown near the South

Australian/Victorian Border through south-eastern Australia to northern Queensland.

This species was thought to be extinct in South Australia since 1939 until a genetic

test confirmed their inhabitance in this area.[4]

The squirrel glider lives in south-eastern Australia in the dry sclerophyll forest and

woodlands. In Queensland, however, they occupy a wetter eucalypt forest.[4]

The glider will make a den in the hollow tree and line it with leaves. Here it will sleep

and usually lives in groups of one male, 2 females, and offspring.[5]

Appearance

[edit]

Like most of the wrist-winged gliders, the squirrel glider is endemic to Australia. It is

about twice the size of the related sugar glider (P. breviceps). Its body is 18–23 cm

long and its tail measures at 22–33 cm long.[4] It weighs about 230g or 0.5 lbs.[5] They

have blue-grey or brown-grey fur on their back and a white belly. The end of their tail

is black and they have a black stripe from their eyes to the mid-back.[4] They have a

flying membrane that extends from their 5th front toe to the back of their foot on both

sides. When they glide their prehensile tail can act as a rudder, allowing them to steer

which direction they want to go.[6] They can glide up to 50m from tree to tree.[5] They

tend not to glide in captivity.

Reproduction

[edit]

The breeding season is between June and January. The gestation/pregnancy of a

female is 18 days.[6] The litter sizes are usually one to two offspring a year.[5] The

offspring will immediately crawl to the mother's marsupium and anchor itself to a teat

where it will stay for about 3 months.[6][7] The mother will wean off her offspring

around 4 months while they stay in the den. The offspring become independent at 10

months and go off on their own. The life expectancy is 4–6 years.[5]

Diet

[edit]

Squirrel glider at

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

The squirrel glider eats mostly fruit and insects.[8][9] It also feeds on tree sap, mainly

eucalyptus or red bloodwood trees. In order to get the sap the squirrel glider will

pierce the trunk of the tree causing sap to flow out of it. It also eats pollen, nectar,

leaves, and bark.[5][10]

Threats

[edit]
Natural predators of the squirrel glider include owls and introduced predators include

dogs, cats and foxes. Habitat fragmentation and destruction by human agency is also

impacting individual populations. However, due to large population sizes and

occurrence in several protected areas, the species is currently classified as Least

Concern (i.e. not yet threatened) by the IUCN.[1]

Phylogeny

[edit]

The squirrel glider's closest relatives come from the same genus, Petaurus, and they

include the sugar glider (P. breviceps), mahogany glider (P. gracilis), northern glider

(P. abidi), Biak glider (P. biacensis) and yellow-bellied glider (P. australis). It is not

yet known which species the gliders diverged from. The squirrel glider most likely

evolved from a marsupial like a possum that had membranes for gliding. Other

animals that have this same ancestor include Striped possum and Leadbeaters possum.

Analogous structures

[edit]

Squirrel gliders are often mistaken for flying squirrels of North America. These two

species are not related at all. The flying squirrel is a placental mammal and the

squirrel glider is a marsupial like koalas and kangaroos. Both have an adaptation for

tree living – Patagia. This is the skin that extends from their front to hind legs

allowing them to glide between the trees avoiding predators they might come into

contact with on the ground. Because these animals are distantly related we call these

characteristics analogous.

Homologous structures
[edit]

Squirrel gliders are able to curl their tails around branches to hold on. This feature is

homologous to the ring tail possum (order of Diprodontia) which use their tail as an

extra limb to grab hold of trees. It is longer but the squirrel gliders tail is bushier.

References

[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to:a b Winter, J.; Lunney, D.; Denny, M.; Burnett, S.;

Menkhorst, P. (2016). "Petaurus norfolcensis". IUCN Red List of

Threatened Species. 2016:

e.T16728A21959402. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-

2.RLTS.T16728A21959402.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

2. ^ Gliding Possums — Environment, New South Wales Government

3. ^ Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal

Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.).

Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 55. ISBN 0-801-88221-

4. OCLC 62265494.

4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the

original (PDF) on 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2009-10-25.

5. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f "The Squirrel Glider - a gliding flyer - pictures and

facts". thewebsiteofeverything.com.

6. ^ Jump up to:a b c Barbara Lundrigan. "ADW: Petaurus norfolcensis:

INFORMATION". Animal Diversity Web.

 7. ^ "Squirrel Glider — Gosford City Council". Archived from the

original on 2009-12-31. Retrieved 2009-12-31.

8. ^ Menkhorst, P. and Knight, F. (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals

of Australia. Oxford University Press (pp. 94-95). ISBN 0-19-550870-X

9. ^ Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland (First printed in 2000).

Queensland Museum Publication (p. 337). ISBN 0-7242-9349-3

10. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-

07-06. Retrieved 2011-07-06.

Bibliography

[edit]

 Cronin, Leonard — "Key Guide to Australian Mammals", published by Reed

Books Pty. Ltd., Sydney, 1991 ISBN 0 7301 03552

 van der Beld, John — "Nature of Australia — A portrait of the island

continent", co-published by William Collins Pty. Ltd. and ABC Enterprises for

the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney, 1988 (revised edition

1992), ISBN 0 7333 0241 6

 Russell, Rupert — "Spotlight on Possums", published by University of

Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Queensland, 1980, ISBN 0 7022 14787

 Troughton, Ellis — "Furred Animals of Australia", published by Angus and

Robertson (Publishers) Pty. Ltd., Sydney, in 1941 (revised edition

1973), ISBN 0 207 12256 3

 Morcombe, Michael & Irene — "Mammals of Australia", published by

Australian Universities Press Pty. Ltd., Sydney, 1974, ISBN 0 7249 00179
  Ride, W. D. L. — "A Guide to the Native Mammals of Australia", published by

Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1970, ISBN 0 19 550252 3

 Serventy, Vincent — "Wildlife of Australia", published by Thomas Nelson

(Australia) Ltd., Melbourne, 1968 (revised edition 1977), ISBN 0 17 005168 4

 Serventy, Vincent (editor) — "Australia's Wildlife Heritage", published by Paul

Hamlyn Pty. Ltd., Sydney, 1975 of the marsupial family Petauridae.

External links

[edit]

 Gliders in the Spotlight — Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland

 Keeping squirrel gliders in captivity (Marsupial Society)

 Elizabeth Ann Flaherty: Locomotor performance and cost of transport in the

squirrel glider, Petaurus Norfolcensis (Petauridae) (pdf)

Diprotodontia species

dentifiers

us  Wikidata: Q209903

ensis  Wikispecies: Petaurus norfolcensis

 ADW: Petaurus_norfolcensis

 AFD: Petaurus_norfolcensis
  ARKive: petaurus-norfolcensis

 CoL: 4FD5L

 EoL: 323827

 GBIF: 2440049

 iNaturalist: 42722

 IRMNG: 11272822

 ITIS: 609843

 IUCN: 16728

 MDD: 1000346

 MSW: 11000163

 NCBI: 122272

 Observation.org: 86570

 Open Tree of Life: 45641

 Paleobiology Database: 234000

 Xeno-canto: Petaurus-norfolcensis

 Wikidata: Q109647477

ensis  GBIF: 5816446

Categories:

 IUCN Red List least concern species

 Gliding possums

 Marsupials of Australia

 Mammals of New South Wales

 Mammals of Queensland
 Mammals of Victoria (state)

 Extinct mammals of South Australia

 Least concern biota of Australia

 Mammals described in 1792

 Taxa named by Robert Kerr (writer)

 This page was last edited on 1 March 2024, at 23:53 (UTC).

 Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0

License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms

of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of

the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

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

 See also

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 Hamster

 86 languages

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 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 For other uses, see Hamster (disambiguation).

 Hamster

 Temporal range:

Middle Miocene –

present

 Cricetus cricetus,

the European

hamster

 Scientific

classification

 Dom  Eukar

ain: yota
 King  Anima

dom: lia

 Phylu  Chord

m: ata

 Class  Mam

: malia

 Order  Roden

: tia

 Famil  Criceti

y: dae

 Subfa  Criceti

mily: nae

Fische

r de

Waldh

eim,

1817

 Genera

 Allocricetulus

 Cansumys

 Cricetulus

 Cricetus
  Mesocricetus

 Nothocricetulus

 Phodopus

 Tscherskia

 Urocricetus

 Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae,

which contains 19 species classified in seven genera.[1][2] They have become

established as popular small pets.[3] The best-known species of hamster is

the golden or Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), which is the type most

commonly kept as a pet. Other hamster species commonly kept as pets are the

three species of dwarf hamster, Campbell's dwarf hamster (Phodopus

campbelli), the winter white dwarf hamster (Phodopus sungorus) and

the Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii).

 Hamsters feed primarily on seeds, fruits, vegetation, and occasionally

burrowing insects. In the wild, they are crepuscular: they forage during the

twilight hours. In captivity, however, they are known to live a

conventionally nocturnal lifestyle, waking around sundown to feed and

exercise.[4] Physically, they are stout-bodied with distinguishing features that

include elongated cheek pouches extending to their shoulders, which they use

to carry food back to their burrows, as well as a short tail and fur-covered feet.

 Classification
 P. sungorus. The winter white dwarf hamster

A winter white dwarf hamster

P. roborovski. The Roborovski hamster

P. campbelli. The Campbell's dwarf hamster

 Taxonomists generally disagree about the most appropriate placement of the

subfamily Cricetinae within the superfamily Muroidea. Some place it in a

family Cricetidae that also includes voles, lemmings, and New World rats and
 mice; others group all these into a large family called Muridae. Their

evolutionary history is recorded by 15 extinct fossil genera and extends back

11.2 million to 16.4 million years to the Middle Miocene Epoch in Europe and

North Africa; in Asia it extends 6 million to 11 million years. Four of the seven

living genera include extinct species. One extinct hamster of Cricetus, for

example, lived in North Africa during the Middle Miocene, but the only extant

member of that genus is the European or common hamster of Eurasia.

 Subfamily Cricetinae

 Genus Allocricetulus

 Species A. curtatus—Mongolian hamster

 Species A. eversmanni—Eversmann's or Kazakh hamster

 Genus Cansumys

 Species C. canus—Gansu hamster

 Genus Cricetulus

 Species C. barabensis, including "C. pseudogriseus" and "C. obscurus"—

Chinese striped hamster, also called Chinese hamster; striped dwarf hamster

 Species C. griseus—Chinese (dwarf) hamster, also called rat hamster,

sometimes considered a synonym of C. barabensis

 Species C. longicaudatus—long-tailed dwarf hamster

 Species C. sokolovi—Sokolov's dwarf hamster

 Genus Cricetus

 Species C. cricetus—European hamster, also called common hamster or black-

bellied field hamster

 Genus Mesocricetus—golden hamsters

 Species M. auratus—golden or Syrian hamster

 Species M. brandti—Turkish hamster, also called Brandt's hamster; Azerbaijani

hamster

 Species M. newtoni—Romanian hamster

 Species M. raddei—Ciscaucasian hamster

 Genus Nothocricetulus - grey dwarf hamster

 Species N. migratorius—grey dwarf hamster, Armenian hamster, migratory

grey hamster; grey hamster; migratory hamster

 Genus Phodopus—dwarf hamsters

 Species P. campbelli—Campbell's dwarf hamster

 Species P. roborovskii—Roborovski hamster

 Species P. sungorus—Djungarian hamster or winter-white Russian dwarf

hamster

 Genus Tscherskia

 Species T. triton—greater long-tailed hamster, also called Korean hamster

 Genus Urocricetus

 Species U. alticola - Ladakh dwarf hamster

 Species U. kamensis - Kam dwarf hamster

 Relationships among hamster species

 Hamster clades

 Neumann et al. (2006) conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis of 12 of

the above 17 species using DNA sequence from three genes: 12S

rRNA, cytochrome b, and von Willebrand factor. They uncovered the following

relationships:[5]

 Phodopus group

 The genus Phodopus was found to represent the earliest split among hamsters.

Their analysis included both species. The results of another

study[6] suggest Urocricetus kamensis and the related U. alticola belong to

either this Phodopus group or hold a similar basal position.[7]

 Mesocricetus group

 The genus Mesocricetus also forms a clade. Their analysis included all four

species, with M. auratus and M. raddei forming one subclade and M.

brandti and M. newtoni another.

 Remaining genera

 The remaining genera of hamsters formed a third major clade. Two of the three

sampled species within Cricetulus represent the earliest split. This clade

contains C. barabensis (and presumably the related C. sokolovi) and C.

longicaudatus.
 Miscellaneous

 The remaining clade contains members of Allocricetulus, Tscherskia, Cricetus,

and C. migratorius. Allocricetulus and Cricetus were sister taxa. Cricetulus

migratorius was their next closest relative, and Tscherskia was basal.

 History

 Although the Syrian hamster or golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) was

first described scientifically by George Robert Waterhouse in 1839, researchers

were not able to successfully breed and domesticate hamsters until 1939.[3] The

entire laboratory and pet populations of Syrian hamsters appear to be

descendants of a single brother–sister pairing. These littermates were captured

and imported in 1930 from Aleppo in Syria by Israel Aharoni, a zoologist of

the University of Jerusalem.[8] In Jerusalem, the hamsters bred very

successfully. Years later, animals of this original breeding colony were exported

to the United States, where Syrian hamsters became a common pet and

laboratory animal. Comparative studies of domestic and wild Syrian hamsters

have shown reduced genetic variability in the domestic strain. However, the

differences in behavioral, chronobiological, morphometrical, hematological,

and biochemical parameters are relatively small and fall into the expected range

of interstrain variations in other laboratory animals.[9]

 Etymology

 The name "hamster" is a loanword from the German, which itself derives from

earlier Middle High German hamastra. It is possibly related to Old Church

Slavonic khomestoru, which is either a blend of the root

 of Russian хомяк (khomyak) "hamster" and a Baltic word

(cf. Lithuanian: staras "hamster");[10] or of Persian origin

(cf. Avestan: hamaēstar "oppressor").[11] The collective noun for a group of

hamsters is "horde".[12] In German, the verb hamstern is derived from Hamster.

It means "to hoard".[13]

 Description

 Skeleton of European hamster

 Hamsters are typically stout-bodied, with tails shorter than body length, and

have small, furry ears, short, stocky legs, and wide feet. They have thick, silky

fur, which can be long or short, colored black, grey, honey, white, brown,

yellow, red, or a mix, depending on the species. Two species of hamster

belonging to the genus Phodopus, Campbell's dwarf hamster (P. campbelli) and

the Djungarian hamster (P. sungorus), and two of the genus Cricetulus,

the Chinese striped hamster (C. barabensis) and the Chinese hamster (C.

griseus) have a dark stripe down their heads to their tails. The species of

genus Phodopus are the smallest, with bodies 5.5 to 10.5 cm (2.2 to 4.1 in)

long; the largest is the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus), measuring up to

34 cm (13 in) long, not including a short tail of up to 6 cm (2.4 in).

 The hamster tail can be difficult to see, as it is usually not very long

(about 1⁄6 the length of the body), with the exception of the Chinese hamster,

which has a tail the same length as the body. One rodent characteristic that can
 be highly visible in hamsters is their sharp incisors; they have an upper pair and

lower pair which grow continuously throughout life, so must be regularly worn

down. Hamsters are very flexible, but their bones are somewhat fragile. They

are extremely susceptible to rapid temperature changes and drafts, as well as

extreme heat or cold.

 Senses

 Hamsters have poor eyesight; they are nearsighted and colorblind.[14][15] Their

eyesight leads to them not having a good sense of distance or knowing where

they are, but that does not stop them from climbing in (and sometimes out of)

their cages or from being adventurous. Hamsters can sense movement around

at all times, which helps protect them from harm in the wild. In a household,

this sense helps them know when their owner is near.[16] Hamsters have scent

glands on their flanks (and abdomens in Chinese and dwarf hamsters) which

they rub against the surface beneath them, leaving a scent trail.[17] Hamsters

also use their sense of smell to distinguish between the sexes and to locate

food. Mother hamsters can also use their sense of smell to find their own babies

and identify which ones are not theirs. Their scent glands can also be used to

mark their territories, their babies, or their mate.[18] Hamsters catch sounds by

having their ears upright. They tend to learn similar noises and begin to know

the sound of their food and even their owner's voice.[16] They are also

particularly sensitive to high-pitched noises and can hear and communicate in

the ultrasonic range.[8]

 Diet
 Hamsters are omnivores, which means they can eat meat and plant matter.

Hamsters that live in the wild eat seeds, grass, and even insects.[16] Although pet

hamsters can survive on a diet of exclusively commercial hamster food, other

items, such as vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts, can be given. Although store-

bought food is good for hamsters, it is best if fruits and vegetables are also in

their diet because it keeps them healthier.[19] Hamsters in the Middle East have

been known to hunt in packs to find insects for food.[20] Hamsters are hindgut

fermenters and often eat their own feces (coprophagy) to recover nutrients

digested in the hind-gut, but not absorbed.[2]

 Behavior

 Pet Syrian hamster examines a banana

 Feeding

 A behavioral characteristic of hamsters is food hoarding. They carry food in

their spacious cheek pouches to their underground storage chambers. When

full, the cheeks can make their heads double, or even triple in size.[2] Hamsters

lose weight during the autumn months in anticipation of winter. This occurs

even when hamsters are kept as pets and is related to an increase in exercise.[21]

 Social behavior
 Hamsters fighting

 Most hamsters are strictly solitary. If housed together, acute and

chronic stress might occur,[9] and they might fight fiercely, sometimes

fatally. Dwarf hamster species might tolerate siblings or same-gender unrelated

hamsters if introduced at an early enough age, but this cannot be guaranteed.

Hamsters communicate through body language to one another and even to their

owner. They communicate by sending a specific scent using their scent glands

and also show body language to express how they are feeling.[18]

 Chronobiology

 Hamsters can be described as nocturnal or crepuscular (active mostly at dawn

and dusk). Khunen writes, "Hamsters are nocturnal rodents who are active

during the night",[9] but others have written that because hamsters live

underground during most of the day, only leaving their burrows for about an

hour before sundown and then returning when it gets dark, their behavior is

primarily crepuscular. Fritzsche indicated although some species have been

observed to show more nocturnal activity than others, they are all primarily

crepuscular.[8]

 In the wild Syrian hamsters can hibernate and allow their body temperature to

fall close to ambient temperature. This kind of thermoregulation diminishes

 the metabolic rate to about 5% and helps the animal to considerably reduce the

need for food during the winter.[9] Hibernation can last up to one week but more

commonly last 2–3 days.[22] When kept as house pets the Syrian hamster does

not hibernate.[22]

 Burrowing behavior

 All hamsters are excellent diggers, constructing burrows with one or more

entrances, with galleries connected to chambers for nesting, food storage, and

other activities.[2] They use their fore- and hindlegs, as well as their snouts and

teeth, for digging. In the wild, the burrow buffers extreme ambient

temperatures, offers relatively stable climatic conditions, and protects against

predators. Syrian hamsters dig their burrows generally at a depth of 70 cm

(2.3 ft).[23] A burrow includes a steep entrance pipe (4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in) in

diameter), a nesting and a hoarding chamber and a blind-ending branch for

urination. Laboratory hamsters have not lost their ability to dig burrows; in

fact, they will do this with great vigor and skill if they are provided with the

appropriate substrate.[9]

 Wild hamsters will also appropriate tunnels made by other mammals; the

Djungarian hamster, for instance, uses paths and burrows of the pika.[24]

 Reproduction

 A mother Syrian hamster with pups less than

one week old

 Fertility

 Hamsters become fertile at different ages depending on their species. Both

Syrian and Russian hamsters mature quickly and can begin reproducing at a

young age (4–5 weeks), whereas Chinese hamsters will usually begin

reproducing at two to three months of age, and Roborovskis at three to four

months of age. The female's reproductive life lasts about 18 months, but male

hamsters remain fertile much longer. Females are in estrus about every four

days, which is indicated by a reddening of genital areas, a musky smell, and a

hissing, squeaking vocalisation she will emit if she believes a male is nearby.[3]

 When seen from above, a sexually mature female hamster has a trim tail line; a

male's tail line bulges on both sides. This might not be very visible in all

species. Male hamsters typically have very large testes in relation to their body

size. Before sexual maturity occurs, it is more difficult to determine a young

hamster's sex. When examined, female hamsters have their anal and genital

openings close together, whereas males have these two holes farther apart (the

penis is usually withdrawn into the coat and thus appears as a hole or pink

pimple).[3]

 Gestation and fecundity

 Syrian hamsters are seasonal breeders and will produce several litters a year

with several pups in each litter. The breeding season is from April to October in

the Northern Hemisphere, with two to five litters of one to 13 young being born

after a gestation period of 16 to 23 days.[20] Dwarf hamsters breed all through

the year. Gestation lasts 16 to 18 days for Syrian hamsters, 18 to 21 days for
 Russian hamsters, 21 to 23 days for Chinese hamsters and 23 to 30 for

Roborovski hamsters. The average litter size for Syrian hamsters is about seven

pups, but can be as great as 24, which is the maximum number of pups that can

be contained in the uterus. Campbell's dwarf hamsters tend to have four to eight

pups in a litter, but can have up to 13. Winter white hamsters tend to have

slightly smaller litters, as do Chinese and Roborovski hamsters.

 Intersexual aggression and cannibalism

 Female Chinese and Syrian hamsters are known for being aggressive toward

males if kept together for too long after mating. In some cases, male hamsters

can die after being attacked by a female. If breeding hamsters, separation of the

pair after mating is recommended, or they will attack each other.

 Female hamsters are also particularly sensitive to disturbances while giving

birth, and may even eat their own young if they think they are in danger,

although sometimes they are just carrying the pups in their cheek pouches.[8] If

captive female hamsters are left for extended periods (three weeks or more)

with their litter, they may cannibalize the litter, so the litter must be removed by

the time the young can feed and drink independently.

 Weaning

 Duration: 24 seconds.0:24An adult female and several juvenile dwarf

hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) feeding

 Hamsters are born hairless and blind in a nest the mother will have prepared in

advance.[3] After one week, they begin to explore outside the nest. Hamsters are

capable of producing litters every month. Hamsters can be bred after they are
 three weeks old. It may be hard for the babies to not rely on their mother for

nursing during this time, so it is important that they are supplied with food to

make the transition from nursing to eating on their own easier. After the

hamsters reach three weeks of age they are considered mature.[25]

 Longevity

 Syrian hamsters typically live no more than two to three years in captivity, and

less in the wild. Russian hamsters (Campbell's and Djungarian) live about two

to four years in captivity, and Chinese hamsters 2+1⁄2–3 years. The smaller

Roborovski hamster often lives to three years in captivity.[2]

 Society and culture

 Hamsters as pets

 A Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus

autatus) standing in exercise wheel

 The best-known species of hamster is the golden or Syrian

hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), which is the type most commonly kept as pets.

There are numerous Syrian hamster variations including long-haired varieties

and different colors. British zoologist Leonard Goodwin claimed most hamsters

kept in the United Kingdom were descended from the colony he introduced for

medical research purposes during the Second World War.[26] Hamsters were

domesticated and kept as pets in the United States at least as early as 1942.[27]
 A spacious hamster cage made from

a display cabinet

 Other hamsters commonly kept as pets are the three species in the

genus Phodopus. Campbell's dwarf hamster (Phodopus campbelli) is the most

common—they are also sometimes called "Russian dwarfs"; however, many

hamsters are from Russia, so this ambiguous name does not distinguish them

from other species appropriately. The coat of the winter white dwarf

hamster (Phodopus sungorus) turns almost white during winter (when the

hours of daylight decrease).[3] The Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii)

is extremely small and fast, making it difficult to keep as a pet.[2]

 Hamster shows

 Main article: Hamster show

 A hamster show is an event in which people gather hamsters to judge them

against each other.[28] Hamster shows are also places where people share their

enthusiasm for hamsters among attendees. Hamster shows feature an exhibition

of the hamsters participating in the judging.[28]

 The judging of hamsters usually includes a goal of promoting hamsters which

conform to natural or established varieties of hamsters.[28] By awarding

 hamsters which match standard hamster types, hamster shows encourage

planned and careful hamster breeding.[28]

 Owner activism

 When the first reported case of animal-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-

2 in Hong Kong took place via imported pet hamsters, researchers expressed

difficulty in identifying some of the viral mutations within a global genomic

data bank, leading city authorities to announce a mass cull of all hamsters

purchased after December 22, 2021, which would affect roughly 2,000 animals.

After the government 'strongly encouraged' citizens to turn in their pets,

approximately 3,000 people joined underground activities to promote the

adoption of abandoned hamsters throughout the city and to maintain pet

ownership via methods such as the forgery of pet store purchase receipts. Some

activists attempted to intercept owners who were on their way to turn in pet

hamsters and encourage them to choose adoption instead, which the

government subsequently warned would be subject to police action.[29][30]

 Hamsters as lab animals

 Further information: Laboratory Syrian hamster

 The extracted cells of babies' kidneys and adults' ovaries are used to

study cholesterol synthesis.[31]

 Similar animals

 Some similar rodents sometimes called "hamsters" are not currently classified

in the hamster subfamily Cricetinae. These include the maned hamster, or

crested hamster, which is really the maned rat (Lophiomys imhausi). Others are
 the mouse-like hamsters (Calomyscus spp.), and the white-tailed

rat (Mystromys albicaudatus).

 See also

 Hamster cage

 Hamster show

 Hamster wheel

 Hamster ball

 Chinchilla

 Ebichu

 Gerbil

 Guinea pig

 Hampster Dance

 Hamster racing

 Hamtaro

 Rat

 Wet-tail

 References

 ^ "Cricetinae (Hamsters)". Animal Diversity Web.

 ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Fox, Sue (2006). Hamsters. T. F. H. Publications.

 ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Barrie, Anmarie. 1995. Hamsters as a New Pet. T.F.H.

Publications Inc., NJ ISBN 0-86622-610-9.

 ^ Bartlett, Patricia Pope (2003). The Hamster Handbook. Barron's

Educational Series. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-7641-2294-1.

 ^ Neumann, K; Michaux, J; Lebedev, V; Yigit, N; Colak, E; Ivanova, N;

Poltoraus, A; Surov, A; Markov, G (2006). "Molecular phylogeny of the

Cricetinae subfamily based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S rRNA

genes and the nuclear vWF gene" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics &

Evolution. 39 (1): 135–48. Bibcode:2006MolPE..39..135N. doi:10.1016/

j.ympev.2006.01.010. hdl:2268/77207. PMID 16483801.

 ^ Lebedev, V. S., N. V. Ivanova, N. K. Pavlova, and A. B. Poltoraus. 2003.

Molecular phylogeny of the Palearctic hamsters. In Proceedings of the

International Conference Devoted to the 90th Anniversary of Prof. I. M.

Gromov on Systematics, Phylogeny and Paleontology of Small Mammals (A.

Averianov and N. Abramson eds.). St. Petersburg.

 ^ Lebedev, V. S.; Bannikova, A. A.; Neumann, K.; Ushakova, M. V.; Ivanova, N.

V.; Surov, A. V. (26 February 2018). "Molecular phylogenetics and taxonomy

of dwarf hamsters Cricetulus Milne-Edwards, 1867 (Cricetidae, Rodentia):

description of a new genus and reinstatement of

another". Zootaxa. 4387 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4387.2.5. Retrieved 9

December 2024.

 ^ Jump up to:a b c d Fritzsche, Peter. 2008. Hamsters: A Complete Pet Owner's

Manual. Barron's Educational Series Inc., NY ISBN 0-7641-3927-4.

 ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Kuhnen, G. (2002). Comfortable quarters for hamsters in

research institutions. In "Comfortable Quarters for Laboratory Animals" Eds V.

Reinhardt and A. Reinhardt. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington DC. pp.33-

37
 ^ Harper, Douglas. "hamster". The Online Etymology Dictionary.

 ^ "hamster". Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Retrieved 29

May 2008.

 ^ Carnaby, Trevor (2006). Beat about the Bush: Mammals. Jacana

Media. ISBN 978-1-77009-240-2.

 ^ Geyken, Alexander. "Hamster". Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen

Sprache (in German). Retrieved 1 July 2009.

 ^ LeeAnne Engfer (1997). My pet hamster & gerbils. photographs by Andy

King. Minneapolis: Lerner. p. 13. ISBN 978-0822522614.

 ^ Thomas A. Scott (1995). Concise encyclopedia biology (Rev. ed.). Berlin:

Walter de Gruyter. p. 299. ISBN 978-3110106619.

 ^ Jump up to:a b c "Anatomy | About Hamsters | Hamsters | Guide | Omlet

US". www.omlet.us. Retrieved 20 November 2019.

 ^ Bartlett, Patricia Pope; Earle-Bridges, Michele (2003). The Hamster

Handbook. Barron's Educational Series. p. 21. ISBN 9780764122941.

 ^ Jump up to:a b "Hamster Body Language & Behavior: What it

Means". Caring Pets. Retrieved 20 November 2019.

 ^ "All About Keeping Hamsters as Pets". The Spruce Pets. Retrieved 20

November 2019.

 ^ Jump up to:a b "hamster." Encyclopædia Britannica. Standard Edition.

Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2007.

 ^ Petri, Ines; Dumbell, Rebecca; Scherbarth, Frank; Steinlechner, Stephan;

Barrett, Perry (2014). "Effect of Exercise on Photoperiod-Regulated

 Hypothalamic Gene Expression and Peripheral Hormones in the Seasonal

Dwarf Hamster Phodopus sungorus". PLOS ONE. 9 (3):

e90253. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...990253P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0090253.

ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3946023. PMID 24603871.

 ^ Jump up to:a b "Welcome to the British Hamster Association Web Site".

 ^ Gattermann, R.; Fritzsche, P.; Neumann, K.; Al-Hussein, I.; Kayser, A.;

Abiad, M.; Yakti, R. (2001). "Notes on the current distribution and the ecology

of wild golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)". Journal of

Zoology. 254 (3): 359–365. doi:10.1017/S0952836901000851.

 ^ Musser, Guy. "hamster | Facts & Breeds". Encyclopedia Britannica.

Retrieved 1 February 2018.

 ^ "How Soon Can You Take a Hamster From Its Mother?". animals.mom.me.

Retrieved 20 November 2019.

 ^ "Leonard Goodwin – Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. 14 January

2009. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 18

January 2009.

 ^ Testimony from Grant C Riddle (born 1929, living in Lake Wildwood, CA)

who had a pet hamster in 1942.

 ^ Jump up to:a b c d Logsdail, Chris; Logsdail, Peter; Hovers, Kate

(2002). Hamsterlopaedia : a complete guide to hamster care. Lydney:

Ringpress. p. 161. ISBN 978-1860542466.

 ^ Mahtani, Shibani; Yu, Theodora (20 January 2022). "Hong Kong hamster

massacre: Residents resist 'zero covid' city's pet project". Washington Post.

Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.

 ^ Ting, Victor; Choy, Gigi; Cheung, Elizabeth (18 January

2022). "Coronavirus: 2,000 hamsters to be culled over fears of first animal-to-

human transmission in Hong Kong, pet store customers ordered into

quarantine". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 22

January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.

 ^ Slotte, J. Peter; Pörn, M. Isabella; Härmälä, Ann-Sofi (1994). "19 Flow and

Distribution of Cholesterol—Effects of Phospholipids". In Hoekstra, Dick

(ed.). Cell lipids. Vol. 40. San Diego: Academic Press.

pp. 483–502/xii+638. ISBN 978-0-12-153340-3. ISSN 0070-2161. OCLC 301

47917. ISBN 0-12-153340-9 ISBN 9780080585116

 External links

 Wikispecies has information related to Cricetinae.

 Look up hamster in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cricetinae.

 Wikiquote has quotations related to Hamster.

  National Hamster Council (UK)

how

Extant subfamilies of family Cricetidae

how

Species of hamsters (subfamily Cricetinae)

Taxon identifiers

 Wikidata: Q6573

 Wikispecies: Cricetinae

 ADW: Cricetinae

 CoL: JDY

Cricetinae  ITIS: 632545

 MSW: 13000348

 NCBI: 10026

 Open Tree of Life: 917323

 Paleobiology Database: 91459

Authority control databases:  Germany

  United States

 France

 BnF data

National  Japan

 Czech Republic

 Latvia

 Israel

 Categories:

 Cricetidae

 Hamsters

 Extant Miocene first appearances

 Taxa named by Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim

 This page was last edited on 19 February 2025, at 12:09 (UTC).

 Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0

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