Wild Syrian hamsters remain exceedingly rare and elusive. However, their numbers in the wild is reducing due to hunting by farmers to prevent crop destruction. The golden hamster or Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is a rodent belonging to the hamster subfamily, Cricetinae. In the wild Syrian hamsters can hibernate and allow their body temperature to fall close to ambient temperature. The Campbell hamsters can live between 2 and 4 years in captivity while the Chinese hamsters live for 2.5 to 3 years. Their habitat is limited to the parts of Syria and some areas of Turkey. ⢠Hamsters have internal cheek pouches, which extend from their mouth to nearly as far back as their hind legs. Their natural geographical range is limited to arid areas of Syria, Turkey, Greece, Romania and Belgium. Syrian hamsters are often sold in pet stores under a variety of made up names such as âteddy bearâ or âfancy bearâ to appeal to young buyers. Hamsters run at about 3-6 mph/5-9.6 km per hour. Unfortunately, these hamsters in the wild are losing their habitat very fastly. They sometimes live in the semi-deserts in Central Asia. Due to the dangers in the wild, hamsters have a shorter lifespan as compared when they are in captivity. The word âhamsterâ is used for several different species of this family of rodents. Syrian hamsters are omnivorous. Moreover, the spider is prey to the hamsters. All Syrian hamsters living in captivity today are descendants of a single female and her twelve babies, captured in Syria in 1930. The Campbells hamsters of Mongolia. Their numbers have been declining in the wild due to a loss of habitat from agriculture and deliberate elimination by humans. Since hamsters don't have sweat glands, it is important that they can keep cool. In the wild, they like to live in warm, dry areas, like steppes, sand dunes and the edges of deserts.Hamsters were brought to the United States in 1936 from Syria, according to the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association. Syrian Hamsters are solitary and this makes mating particularly difficult as the male and female should only be introduced when the female is in season or serious fighting will occur. Now there are over 100 different colours because of selective breeding.Little is known about their life in the wild. A Roborovski dwarf hamster, found in parts of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. WHERE DO SYRIAN HAMSTERS COME FROM (IN THE WILD) It is believed that pet Hamsters all come from a Single pair of Syrian Golden Hamster. Do hamsters still live in the wild? Syrian hamsters behave similiarly in the wild and in captivity, preferring to live a solitary life. 19 were caught and now form the nucleus of a captive breeding programme in Germany. The Syrian hamster is a lovely little rodent that can become quite tame, friendly and affectionate. In the wild, your hamsters could become prey to animals that live their lives outdoors finding their own food. This is one of the most amazing and cute qualities of the hamsters which are living in the wild areas. The spider is a kind of food for the hamsters. ⢠Hamsters are stout, round-bodied rodents with beady eyes and stubby tails. Thatâs for Dwarf and Syrian hamsters as well, with the Syrian being the fastest. Three survived and form the ⦠They are found in the wild in many parts of the world, including Syria, Russia and China. Your beautiful pet hamster is little changed from the wild hamsters to which he is related, though his life with you, free from predators, droughts, or natural disasters, will hopefully be more relaxing. Syrians lived in the Middle East in an arid country that is mainly desert or rather bare rocks, without a great deal of difference between the seasons. If food is plentif⦠Syrian hamsters originate in the Middle East (particularly Israel and Syria). Like many hamster species, the Syrian hamster is observed as being a total loner & living a solitary lifestyle in the wild, only observed together during the breeding season. The fur on the body helps hamsters. Also known as the golden hamster, the Syrian hamster is 5 to 7 inches long, and weighs between 4 and 8 ounces. Wild Syrian hamsters eat harmless spiders. I Aharoni captured a mother hamster and her litter in Aleppo, Syria - the first Golden Hamsters found alive in nearly a century. The first hamsters were discovered in Syria, though they also live in Greece, Romania, Belgium and northern China. The first known hamsters were caught in Syria, and they are generally referred to as Syrian hamsters, although you may also find some dubbed a teddy bear hamster. The Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), also known as the golden hamster, is a breed of hamster.They first lived in Syria.They are also known as golden hamsters because the first ones kept as pets were gold coloured. While pet hamsters live in cages, hamsters in the wild burrow deep underground. Many of the species live in harsh environments, some inhabiting the deserts of the Middle East, others originating in the frozen landscapes of Siberia and northern China. There are 24 different species of wild hamsters, five of which are domesticated. So, if the hamster wasn't eaten by a dog/cat/etc, the weather would probably kill him. In the wild, their staple is composed of mixed seeds, grains, fruits, leafy greens and other edible plant materials they forage through the evening. In the wild the Syrian Hamster lives alone and is fiercely territorial, attacking any intruders or other hamsters it may be confronted with during its travels. The days are hot and the nights cold, and food and water are scarce, so hamsters are nocturnal, living below ground to avoid the high daytime temperatures. A female Syrian hamster comes into season every 4 days (although this may vary from 3-5 days). Observations of Syrian hamsters in the wild have been rare: one expedition in 1981, one in 1997, another in 1999, but little progress has been made. The Syrian hamster was thought to be extinct in the wild as no sightings had been made of wild Syrian hamsters since the 1980âs. Fun Facts for Kids. DESCRIPTION. They were some of the first domesticated hamsters. The terrain is very different than the hamster cage bedding theyâve known, meaning they wouldnât be able to dig for warmth or safety. In the wild, these hamsters originate from Dzungaria, Kazakhstan, the meadows of Mongolia, Siberia, and the birch stands of Manchuria. The Syrian pets live an average of 2 to 3 years but shorter when they are in the wild. Mesocricetus auratus are endemic to arid northern Syria and parts of Turkey, where they live a solitary existence.Unlike other rodents, Syrians only come together for breeding and the females raise their young alone. In colder climates, he'd probably go torpid and never come out of the torpor state. WILD HISTORY: Syrian hamsters are hardy creatures that come from the semi-desert region of Syria. ⢠They have small, bare paws that have tiny but sharp claws. In captivity, the Syrian must be housed solitary. 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. Wild Syrian hamsters ⦠Hamsters are found in several places around the world, such as Syria and China. According to Dunn, only three scientific expeditions have observed this species in the wild, the last in 1999. Like most members of the subfamily, the Syrian Hamster has expandable cheek pouches, which extend from its cheeks to its shoulders. This is the way through which the hamsters and the spiders live together. However expeditions in 1997 and 1999 found some wild Syrian hamsters. Their name in the local Arabicdialect where they were found translates to "father of saddlebags" (Arabic: أب٠جراب) due to the remarkable amount of storage space in their cheek pouches. Israel Aharoni and a local Sheikh El-Beled found a Syrian hamster and her 11 young babies in 1930. Whenever the hamsters find a spider around, it feels to catch the spider and then kill the spider suddenly. Aharoni had no option but to raise the 10 babies by his own hand. Wild Syrian hamsters are listed as âvulnerableâ due to their reduced numbers. Types of hamsters that live in the wild areas. Syrian hamsters in the wild Golden hamsters or also known as the teddy bear hamsters, Syrian hamsters are the most wanted and loved pet species among hamsters. The Syrian Hamster is generally about 5 ½ inches (13 cm) in length, although some can be little larger. Djungarian hamsters also live in the dry steppes and wheat or alfalfa fields, as well as on small fields, grassy planes, and mountain steppes. Syrian and Mongolian hamsters sometimes will burrow up to ten feet or more in order to avoid high desert temperatures. Aharoni put the mother and 11 kids into a wooden box but the mother hamster attacked one baby and chewed its head off. A Syrian hamster has larger limbs than a Dwarf hamster, and can cover more ground. These ... Tail for climbing trees. The same goes for its cousins. ORIGIN. Syrian Hamsters. Hamsters prefer to live in warm, dry areas, such as near the desert or steppes. There are about 26 species known worldwide in Middle East, Asia and Europe. There are five species of hamsters kept in captivity (and around 20 exist in the wild), with Syrians being the largest of their captive kin. In the semi-desert lands of Mongolia, Campbells hamsters are at their most active in the evenings, when they emerge from their burrow to look for food. Syrian Hamster Behaviour In The Wild. In the wild, ⦠Heat resistant and survivors. These rodents can be accustomed and will respond to human voice. Syrian hamsters are known to communicate aggression through teeth chattering. Native to Syria and Turkey, wild Syrian hamsters ⦠Occasionally they hunt insects for the protein. In fact, only 5 species of hamsters are pets. Group housed Syrians is reckless, and often ends with the hamsters attacking and killing each other. Here's a short clip from BBC programme 'Wild China', Beyond the Great Wall. Your hamsters would likely pick up parasites for which they have no natural resistance. 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