subject: Anatomy of a Hamster [print this page] Anatomy of a Hamster Anatomy of a Hamster
The hamster is a rodent that we can find in different parts of the world. At present, a lot of people buy hamsters to be their home pet. Hamsters are fascinating, lovable and very lively. They are nocturnal animals that are solitary in nature. They'd rather be alone than to be with other hamsters.
In General, hamsters are very small. They range only from 2-11 inches in size and they can only weigh up to 900 grams in weight which is why they can easily be kept in hamster cages. A hamster is often used in a research or experiments because some parts of their body are similar to us humans. They are like guinea pigs that are used as laboratory animals.
Pet hamsters are often studied in their sensory systems like taste and vision. They are utilized by scientists looking for a cure of certain diseases such as pancreatic cancer, cardiopulmonary disease and other similar ailments. Hamsters multiply fast and mostly disease-free that is why scientists like to use them for experiments. Furthermore, their cardiovascular system is almost similar to a human being that is why experimentations are done to find treatment to most cardiovascular diseases.
Physically, you can notice that hamsters have fat bodies with cheek pouches on the sides of their heads. They also have very strong legs and wide feet. They use their cheek pouches to keep the food they have gathered. Their teeth continuously grow that is why they need to chew on objects or food to stop their teeth from growing very long which can affect their health.
The internal parts of hamsters mainly consist of skull, jaw, teeth, limbs and tail. Their sense organs are mouth for tasting, nose for smelling, eyes for seeing, ears for hearing and skin for touching. A hamster's average life span is 2-2 years but can reach up to 3 & years depending on the breed.
Experts say that hamsters have poor eyesight and are tend to be color-blind but then their sense of hearing is very well developed and their nose can distinguish different scent which can make up for their poor vision.
A hamster is a great pet to take care because they are sociable to humans and can be easily trained or tamed. Some breeds are generally sweet so you won't have difficulty trying to get them to like you. Prepare a hamster cage now for your pet hamster to live in. Just make sure to choose the correct hamster cage which can make your hamster feel lucky and satisfied.
