subject: The Origin of Hamsters [print this page] The Origin of Hamsters The Origin of Hamsters
Hamsters are animals that belong to the rodent subfamily of Cricetinae. They are known to active at night or during twilight. . They are asleep during the day and are alive at twilight. Hamsters are nowadays by and large taken in households as pets. They are fantastic pets because they do not need high maintenance, they are inexpensive and most of them are harmless even to children. However, hamsters are solitary or antisocial animals. They detest being surrounded by fellow hamsters. Thus, they should be kept alone in their cage to avoid being violent.
Hamsters are said to originate in the Middle East and Southern Europe. The first hamster was found in 1839 by a British zoologist named George Waterhouse. The hamster seen is a female and was called "Cricetus Auratus". It is regarded today as the golden hamster breed.
Then, a professor named Israel Aharoni of the University of Jerusalem found a hamster with 12 young hamsters in 1930 in the Syrian Desert. But then, only 3 of the hamsters remained alive upon reaching his laboratory. They are now the breed of Syrian hamsters. Hamsters started ot become popular when they were brought to England. Golden hamsters were also brought in the year 1938 in the US.
The term hamster came from the German word "hamstern" which means "to store" because hamsters like to collect and store food in their pouches. Hamsters are available in different colors. There are white, brown, cream and gray hamsters. There are also several types of hamsters but the most popular are dwarf and Syrian hamsters. Hamsters also differ in the length of their hair; some have short hair while others have longer hair. They are also usually placed in hamster cages.
A lot of animal experts consider hamsters as good pets because generally they are harmless, friendly, cute and easy to take care of. If you plan to buy a hamster, then you should prepare a hamster cage so it can live comfortable inside his own cage. Keep your hamster healthy by taking good care of it and providing all its needs.
