Hamster

“ The fact that the hamster has little tail has never been analyzed by the game fish. And the grand-daddy of the run, or pool has doubtless many times bumped aside the lesser fish in his rush for such tempting food. ”

“ Hamsters frequently make their appearance in enormous swarms, when they do vast damage to crops. In return, the winter granaries of these rodents are frequently raided by the peasants of countries where they are common; the flesh of the hamster is also eaten, and its fur employed for lining cloaks and coats. ”

“ There seems to be no bounds to the quantity of food which a Hamster will carry into its subterranean store-house, from seventy to one hundred 95 pounds' weight being sometimes taken out of the burrow of a single animal. The fact of the existence of these large stores shows that the animal must need them, and accordingly we find that the Hamster is only a partial hibernator, as it is awake during a considerable portion of the winter months, and is consequently obliged to live on the stores which it has collected. ”

“ The newly weaned hamster so resembles the mouse that the fish may be avoided only by conducting such tests in shallow places or runs not frequented by the game fish. Of course, If game fish are not present in waters used, hamster swim tests are among the most Interesting observations made on the creatures. ”

“ As soon as the young hamsters can shift for themselves, each moves off, makes a separate burrow, and begins to hoard beans and corn. As the litter sometimes contains eighteen young, the mischief done by the hamster is great. Its coloration is peculiar. The fur, which is so thick as to be used for the linings of coats, is a light yellowish brown above. ”

“ Let them [110] cross their rivers and lakes while we return to the rodents of France.
“The hamster abounds in central Europe, notably in Alsace. It is also called the Strasbourg marmot or rye pig. It is almost as large as the black rat, but is more stocky. Its tail is short and hairy, its fur red on the back, black under the belly, with yellowish spots on the flanks, a white spot on the throat, and another on each shoulder.
Hamster
“Hamsters live on roots, fruit, and especially cereals, of which they store up a large supply. ”

“ Hamsters are comparatively new to domestication, having only about 19 years of history under the care of man. They have remarkable freedom from any native disease, are clean, not noisy, have no smelly body odor, have high adaptability In both domestication and laboratory usefulness. They flourish in higher temperatures than tolerated by most strains of laboratory mice, rats, cavies or rabbits, and readily adapt themselves to sudden drops in temperature. ”

“ The skin of the hamster is of some value, and its flesh is used as food. Its burrows are sought after in the countries where it abounds, both for capturing the animal and for rifling its store. America, especially North America, is the home of by far the great majority of Cricetinae, several of which are called white-footed or deer-mice. ”

“ Mice, hedgehogs, and tortoises creep to their holes,
And their fortified refuge is sought by the moles.
Seals and otters plunge silently into the lake,
Mrs. Beaver, too, dives with her young in her wake.
The tapir returns to his home in the fens,
The marmots are off to their underground dens,
And the wishtonwish marmot, the kind prairie dog,
Makes room in his hole for the tortoise and frog.
The hamster runs home, with the pouch in his cheek
Stuff’d with various provisions enough for a week;
Then stores in his dark lonely cell the rich pelf,
For, ill bred and greedy, he cares but for self. ”

“ They inflate their cheek pouches soon after swimming begins, and the buoyancy afforded thereby sustains them for long periods, so that in surface swimming they rival some of the aquatic animals. The adult hamster in water appears to appeal to the large game fish sense of hunger, or desire to fight, to about the same extent as might a baby rabbit 3 to 4 weeks of age, or a very young muskrat or duckling. Most game fish under 2 or 3 pounds will hardly accomplish more than to maul and rough the adult hamster for a moment, possibly pulling him under momentarily. ”

“ Hamsters raised on self-cleaning floors handle better in laboratory, since already adapted to modern pens and cages. Hamsters may be retained, penned in groups, for long periods. Growing hamsters may be penned with rats, except that hamsters tend to chew rats’ tails until even large rats become afraid of hamsters. Group pennings of one to two dozen growing males continue to do well in pens approximately 2 by 3 feet. Once a mature female has been penned separately for any length of time she may fight others when first returned to a group pen. ”

“ It is apparent that no other laboratory animal has been so victimized by erroneous claims and published misinformation as has the hamster. As soon as they have a few animals to sell, some novices pose as hamster authorities. Results of incompetent advice out of such fragmentary and amateurish knowledge have discouraged or misled many beginner producers as well as prospective users of these unique animals. Regardless, hamsters have become firmly established in laboratory usage and demand. ”

“ They are very prolific, the female producing several litters in the year, each consisting of over a dozen blind young; and these, when not more than three weeks old, are turned out of the parental burrow to form underground homes for themselves. The burrow of the young hamster is only about a foot in depth, while that of the adult descends 4 or 5 ft. beneath the surface. On retiring for the winter the hamster closes the various entrances to its burrow, and becomes torpid during the coldest period. ”

“ THE hamster, which, although abundant in many parts of the Continent is unknown in the British Isles, is the typical representative of a large section of the mouse tribe characterised by the cusps on the upper cheek-teeth forming two longitudinal rows, instead of the three found in those of ordinary rats and mice. In size it may be compared to a rat, but its tail is reduced to a mere stump, not more than a couple of inches in length ”

“ M. Allemand has confirmed this fact in the observations he has added to the hamster in the Dutch edition of my work. Among other remarks, he says, this animal is of the mouse kind, and sleeps during winter, like the marmot; he is of a forbidding external appearance, and his manners are not less disgusting; for he has not a single social quality; he destroys and devours every animal he can conquer, not excepting his own species ”

“ Since 1942, commercial handlers have dreamed of white or near-white hamsters to sell at some such premium prices. During the war the author operated a small research hamstery. Certain laboratory survivor females under medical care littered varying numbers of pale-faced to white-faced young. 90 per cent of the female offspring bred, unless given medical care, died at termination of pregnancy or produced runts that died during pregnancy or at termination thereof. ”

“ All the European hamsters show more or less black on the under-parts, but the small species from Central Asia, which constitute distinct subgenera, are uniformly grey. The common species is specially interesting on account of its habits. ”

“ Culling of litters is practiced in production of finest cat, dog, and other stock, so the custom of culling and dispatch of culls is not new. However, the hamster is a small animal and skill must be exercised in successful culling practices. ”

“ Nest culls and discarded adults, or parts of same, make good trapping baits for flesh-eating animals.
38. Other Uses
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: Possibly the most useful work hamsters may perform outside the laboratories is that of instruction in the processes of life by their rapid reproduction and maturity of offspring. Children are fascinated by the unique habits of Holy Land Hamsters, charming cage pets. Males climb upon one’s hands and arms as permitted, and several males of about the same age may coneguially occupy the same cage or pen together. ”

“ When one places more than 8 females in production he has started into commercial hamster raising, and must take into serious consideration all of the essential factors given in this book. Good judgment is of untold value in guiding one through all details of the business. ”

“ This book has been written for those who are now raising or using hamsters and for all who are considering raising or using these creatures. Many buy the animals before acquiring adequate knowledge of their nature and usefulness. It Is evident that an increasing number of inquirers desire more complete and assuring instruction in the most important phases of the hamster industry. ”

“ To anyone not aware of the frequency with which baby birds, mice, etc., fall into streams during high winds, storms, and invasions of their nests by birds and beasts of prey, let it be said that such nest losses are both common and frequently to such extent as to be rather amazing to the average person. Naturally, the presight hamster culled from the nest, whether to attain some maximum for the service of science or to assure better breeding stock prospects from the remainder of the litter, is a near perfect duplicate of a baby mouse or baby rat on a comparative age-size basis. ”

“ It is observed that of all mammals in domestication, both in fertility and maternal instinct the Mesocricetus Hamster females rank highest. Similarly, in fertility and amiability as sires, the males take first prize. A well-established hamstery needs 1 male to each 3 to 9 females, depending upon the breeding method followed and the number of persons helping with hamster matings. The sexual cycle of the female is approximately 4 days, a highly frequent mating instinct. Barrenness is rare. ”

“ Yes, other factors, techniques and perhaps peculiar local circumstances may be more highly determinative than either man observes. To a marked extent, each and every hamster producer may learn by experience. ”

“ Large commercial hamsteries, without 3 to 5 day nest culling or supplemental nest feeding, may have a high per cent of cannibalism and many low litter average production pens. Too little of the mother’s milk per animal during the first 10 days under such mass production. ”

“ The lower surface of the body, the legs, and a band on the forehead are black, and the feet white. Thus the hamster reverses the usual natural order of colour in mammals, which tends to be dark on the back and light below. The animal is 10 inches long, and very courageous. Hamsters have been known to seize a horse by the nose which stepped on their burrow, and at all times they are ready to defend their home. Besides vegetables and corn, they destroy smaller animals. They spend the winter in a more or less torpid state in their burrows, but emerge early in spring. ”

“ This permits the novice to ask questions first hand, see actual operation of a hamstery, and see the animals selected for his own start with hamsters. In buying mail-order, beware of lists that fail to give and guarantee the age and weight of stock, and that fail to guarantee females to be virgins. ”

“ If desired, solid board may be substituted for one or both observation type sides, still retaining the self-cleaning area in the floors. Observation sides are especially suited to continued and intimate study of all pen habits of both adults and growing young. Most hamsteries will desire at least one fancier’s unit for advantageous display of stock to guests. ”

“ Neither dwarf nor giant hamsters have found laboratory favor or pet popularity. The third, the Mesocricetus Hamsters, are of a size in between, have 12 to 16 functioning mammae (nipples) , are more prolific than dwarf or giant which have but eight mammae. Wild Mesocricetus Hamsters, Golden, were captured in Syria, domesticated in Palestine, and some descendants later exported to England, the United States and elsewhere. ”

“ One may write a laboratory or hospital not known to use hamsters, and courteously inquire: Do you use laboratory animals? Have you ever used hamsters? Then state that you would be pleased to furnish a few free of charge, upon their request, for their convenience in evaluating the hamster's worth to them in their laboratory requirements. Such a venture may bring a steady customer, and may be worth two or three hobbyists going in on together if one has too small production to undertake the matter alone. ”

“ The cavity where the female brings forth her young contains no provision, but is only a nest formed of straw and herbs. The depth of the cavities is very different. The young hamster in his first year makes its burrow only a foot deep, while the old animals often dig to the depth of four or five feet: all the cavities communicate together in one habitation, and which is sometimes from eight to ten feet diameter. ”

“ Write biological, hobby, novelty, outdoor, specialty and school supply firms, importers and all other hamster sellers except the commercial hamsteries, and offer to ship hamsters direct to their customers. Most of the foregoing neither raise nor carry hamsters in stock. Such outlets represent a wide, steady market in which even the hobbyist with 3 to 6 producing females may profitably dispose of his output. ”

“ Among examples of European rodents we may mention the very destructive rats, mice and voles, which practically feed everywhere at man’s expense; and the hamster, an Asiatic form which reaches as far west as the Rhine, and stores large quantities of corn and other food in an elaborately made burrow. ”

“ If you feed her some, even if little, every time you open her pen door, she may become far more trustful than under indifferent treatment. It is disturbance and annoyance, rather than frequent attention, that really bothers the mother hamster. She relishes considerate attention after litter is approximately 4 days old so that young have ceased clinging to her mammae (nipples) as she leaves the nest. But, alarm or disturb her suddenly, during this critical early period, so that she rushes from nest too hurriedly to disengage the suckling young and you have a dangerous moment as shown in Illus. ”