I love finding out unusual facts about different animals. In this blog post I've collected some interesting facts about hamsters, some which might surprise you!
Hamsters are crepuscular
Hamsters are crepuscular, which means that they are most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk. In the wild they would remain underground in the daytime to avoid predators.
-🐹-
Hamsters generally prefer to live alone
Hamsters are usually solitary creatures. If housed together they may fight, especially Syrian hamsters, which are highly territorial.
-🐹-
Hamsters have pouches next to their mouths.
Hamsters have pouches that run from the side of their mouths all the way back to their shoulders. They use them to carry food around and store for later. In the wild this means they don't have to make as many trips away from the safety of their home so less chance of being caught by a predator. They can expand around twice the size of a hamster's head!
-🐹-
Hamsters can have up to 20 babies!
The average litter size for a hamster is 4-10 however they can have up to 20 babies, or 'pups' as they are known.
-🐹-
Hamsters have a short lifespan
The average lifespan of a hamster is sadly only around 2.5 years, although some may live longer up to around 4 years.
-🐹-
Hamsters teeth never stop growing
Like rabbits, hamsters have teeth that never stop growing. They get worn down naturally when they are eating and gnawing on hard objects like wood.
-🐹-