Gentle Giants: The Art of Raising and Caring for Pandas

The hamster is a small rodent animal, whose body is covered with long and thick fur, its color varies according to its type, and it ranges between grayish-brown and reddish browns, while the lower parts of it are white or gray and black hues, and hamsters are characterized by small ears covered with fur, and an inner pouch in the cheek It has a solid body, a tail that is much shorter than the length of the body, broad feet, short legs full, hamsters from animals that love isolation, and it is often night active, but it may be active sometimes in the early morning, the hamster lives in burrows dug by itself and makes more than one entrance , And it is divided into rooms for storage, nesting, and other activities, as it may live in burrows dug by other mammals.

There are 24 types of hamsters, the most famous of which are hamsters that can be kept as pets, such as:

• Syrian hamster, or golden hamster: scientifically known as Mesocricetus auratus, it is the most famous type of hamster, its length ranges between (12.5 - 17.5) centimeters, and it lives from (2-3) years. It has a curious and isolationist nature, known by several names according to its different colors. Golden, Hazel, and more.

• Russian dwarf hamster: Also known as Campbell dwarf hamster, it is scientifically known as Phodopus campbelli, its length ranges between (10-12) centimeters, and lives between (1.5-3 years), its original homeland is the semi-arid regions of Central Asia, the Altai Mountains, and North East of China, this type of hamster can coexist with other individuals of the same type, and it is fast-moving and active at dawn, and dusk.

• Russian dwarf winter hamster: Also known as Siberian hamster, its scientific name is Phodopus sungorus, its length ranges between (8-10) centimeters and lives between (1.5-2) years. It can be found in Siberia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, it is called Winter whites; Because it replaces its grayish-brown summer fur, or grayish-blue fur with bright white fur during winter.

• Chinese hamster: scientifically known as Cricetulus griseus, and its length ranges between (10-12) centimeters, and it lives from (2-3) years, and it is a quiet tempered hamster whose original habitat is the deserts of North China and Mongolia, either the color of its fur is brownish-gray, and has Dark tape along the spine, and the lower part of the body is faded, or the color of its fur is white to gray, with a dark stripe on the back. Compared to other types of hamsters, the Chinese hamster is long, thin, and its tail long.

• Desert hamster: scientifically known as Phodopus roborovskii, it is a small animal no more than (4.5) centimeters long and lives for no more than (3.5) years. Its original habitat is the Gobi Desert, the Mongolian steppe, and parts of North China, its color is sandy, or Golden, and the lower parts of the body are white, the desert hamster is characterized by white marks over the eyes, which is the smallest type of pet hamster, and the longest-lived type of hamster, and has an active, and fast nature.