Hamsters possess a remarkable sense of smell that plays a crucial role in their communication and social interactions. By detecting scents from other hamsters’ scent glands, they can discern crucial information such as gender, relatedness, and individual identity. Mother hamsters can identify their own offspring by their unique scent, and they can even detect if there’s an unfamiliar baby in their litter. Moreover, their scent glands are employed for territorial marking and attracting potential mates during the breeding season. These olfactory behaviors are complemented by visual cues conveyed through body language, as hamsters use a diverse range of expressions to express emotions like happiness, fear, curiosity, aggression, and more. Additionally, they engage in limited forms of sign language when communicating with one another. These fruits, vegetables and herbs are all suitable for your hamster. Make sure you give them a good wash before you feed them to your hamster and only feed a small amount each day.

A large, usable floor area with plenty of space for exploring - there isn’t a lot of evidence to say exactly how big a hamster cage should be but the ‘Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare’(based in Germany) states a minimum cage size of 100x50cm Respiratory issues: In some cases, a hamster may make a squeaking noise due to respiratory problems, such as an infection or allergy. King, LeeAnne Engfer; photographs by Andy (1997). My pet hamster & gerbils. Minneapolis: Lerner. p.13. ISBN 978-0822522614. {{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)During torpor, a hamster may appear to be sleeping more than usual and may be less active. Their breathing and heart rate may slow down, and their body temperature may drop. They may also appear to be in a deep sleep, with their eyes closed and their body curled up. Despite their small size, Roborovski hamsters require an extremely large hamster cage and a plethora of different toys. 4. Winter White Dwarf Hamster

No, it's too cold for hamsters to live outside in the UK. Hamsters will enter torpor if they get too cold, which can be very dangerous as they will not have enough fat reserves to survive without food for an extended period. If you are worried that your hamster may have gone into torpor, seek advice from your vet. Several states such as New Jersey and California have labeled the Chinese hamster as a pest, so special permits are required for ownership, selling, and breeding. 6. Chinese Striped Hamster It's worth remembering that hamsters are short sighted, especially those with pink eyes, so keep a close eye on yours if you let them out of their cage. Remember, because of their poor depth perception, they can easily become injured from falling off tables or ledges. Skin conditions 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. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.010. hdl: 2268/77207. PMID 16483801. It is important to ensure that your hamster’s home is indoors away from draughts, as well as sunlight and direct heat. How often do I need to clean my hamster's cage?

Enrichment

Hamsters are naturally nocturnal so if they are disturbed during the day and become alarmed, they may bite. This is why it's always best to make sure your hamster has properly woken up before trying to handle them. Do hamsters hibernate? Hamsters can be very entertaining to watch but are usually highly active in the early morning, evening and during the night. Their feeding, hoarding, tunnelling and nest making behaviours keep them busy for hours, as long as they’re given the right home. Campbell’s Dwarf hamsters are best kept in small groups, but they can still become territorial. This means that they’re best kept in very large hamster cages. It has an average body length of about 3.9 inches with a short snout, wide-set eyes, and dark rounded eyes. In terms of color, it’s mostly a light greyish-brown with a faint stripe on the spine. 7. Ciscaucasian Hamster