If housed together, acute and chronic stress might occur, [8] and they might fight fiercely, sometimes fatally. The entire laboratory and pet populations of Syrian hamsters appear to be descendants of a single brother–sister pairing.

They communicate by sending a specific scent using their scent glands and also show body language to express how they are feeling. Some activists attempted to intercept owners who were on their way to turn in pet hamsters and encourage them to choose adoption instead, which the government subsequently warned would be subject to police action. When seen from above, a sexually mature female hamster has a trim tail line; a male's tail line bulges on both sides.

Russian hamsters (Campbell's and Djungarian) live about two to four years in captivity, and Chinese hamsters 2 + 1⁄ 2–3 years. All hamsters are excellent diggers, constructing burrows with one or more entrances, with galleries connected to chambers for nesting, food storage, and other activities. Laboratory hamsters have not lost their ability to dig burrows; in fact, they will do this with great vigor and skill if they are provided with the appropriate substrate. Neumann, K; Michaux, J; Lebedev, V; Yigit, N; Colak, E; Ivanova, N; Poltoraus, A; Surov, A; Markov, G (2006). The best-known species of hamster is the golden or Syrian hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus), which is the type most commonly kept as pets.

Both Syrian and Russian hamsters mature quickly and can begin reproducing at a young age (4–5 weeks), whereas Chinese hamsters will usually begin reproducing at two to three months of age, and Roborovskis at three to four months of age. These include the maned hamster, or crested hamster, which is really the maned rat ( Lophiomys imhausi). million years to the Middle Miocene Epoch in Europe and North Africa; in Asia it extends 6 million to 11 million years.

One extinct hamster of Cricetus, for example, lived in North Africa during the Middle Miocene, but the only extant member of that genus is the European or common hamster of Eurasia. The name "hamster" is a loanword from the German, which itself derives from earlier Middle High German hamastra. After that, she was happy since all she wanted from him was hardcore sex, which he provided with the satisfaction of his large cock. If breeding hamsters, separation of the pair after mating is recommended, or they will attack each other.

They tend to learn similar noises and begin to know the sound of their food and even their owner's voice. 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. The best-known species of hamster is the golden or Syrian hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus), which is the type most commonly kept as a pet.Fritzsche indicated although some species have been observed to show more nocturnal activity than others, they are all primarily crepuscular. Testimony from Grant C Riddle (born 1929, living in Lake Wildwood, CA) who had a pet hamster in 1942. The coat of the winter white dwarf hamster ( Phodopus sungorus) turns almost white during winter (when the hours of daylight decrease). They have thick, silky fur, which can be long or short, colored black, grey, honey, white, brown, yellow, red, or a mix, depending on the species.