Hamster Profile

Latin Name: Mesocricetus auratus (Syrian Hamster)
Female: Sow
Male: Boar
Young: Pups
Life span: 1 - 3 years
Litter Size: 4-12 pups
Birth weight: 2-5gms
Eyes open: 14 days
Gestation period: 16 days
Average weight: Male 85-140gms
Female 95-120gms
Sexual maturity: Male 6-8 weeks
Female 4 weeks
Weaning age: 3 weeks
Diet: Omnivorous

Hamsters belong to the rodent family. The name “hamster” is derived from the German word “hamstern” which means “to hoard”. Wild hamsters live in hot areas of Central Asia. To avoid the heat of the day hamsters live in burrows and are nocturnal.

In the cool of the evening and during the night hamsters will search for food - and can travel up to 8 miles in one night. They collect food in their cheek pouches and return to their burrows and empty the cheek pouches into their food store. They are able to carry up to half their body weight in their pouches