Behavior and Activities
Almost everything that is known about hamsters has been learned by observing them in captivity. Animals living in the iwld are not easy to study even finding their burrows is difficults and observation in darkness is almost impossible.

The hamster by itself
Understanding Behavior
How Hamsters Communicate
Hamster Body Language
The Exercise Wheel
Activities for the Hamster

A Passion for Grooming
Body care occupies a major part of the hamster's time. All hamsters groom their entire body thoroughly on awaking, then later more supercially. To do this, they use their tongue, teeth, paws, and toenails, and go through the most comical contortions. Hamster's preoccupation with their exterior has nothing to do with vanity.

Grooming maintains the coat, first of all. Only a well-kept coat keeps their little bodies warm. The loss of warmth to the air is considerably less if the coat lies smooth and a lot of air can be held in the small spaces between the hairs. When it is excited - for example, in conflict situations - a hamster now and then suddenly, unexpectedly, and hectically starts washing its face. In such instances, we speak of displacement activity.

During their grooming ceremony, hamsters do not usually sit upright on their hind legs like squirrels but rather on their rear ends. They begin with the head, as a rule. With circling motions, they run their paws along their outstretched tongue and stroke several times against the direction of the fur - first over the muzzle, then over the entire head. In between, they keep licking their paws. Twisting rather acrobatically, they then rub their belly, back, forelegs, and thighs. Afterwards, they use tongue and hind paws to help and comb through the places they can't reach with the front paws.

Why Hamsters Hoard
Many small rodents that are easy prey for predators exhibit the behavior of gathering food and not eating until they are safe. Exatcly what enemies Golden Hamsters have in their native Syrian habitat is not known. Certainly they are numerous, or people constantly would be stumbling over hamsters at night because of the animal's great fecundity. Basically all predators larger than the hamsters are potential enemies, such as foxes, cats, martens, most hawks, and owls. Hamsters are notworthy for regularly stockpiling supplies for bad times. Their burrows have been found to contain special storage chambers, which are assiduously filled in the fall. During this season, Dwarf Hamsters collect supplies with which they must then manage for seven to nine months. Here again their cheek pockets are useful because huge quantities can be carried on each journey to the burrow.

Hamsters are among those animals that hibernate; however, they don't sleep straight through the winter but awaken every now and then to eat food and excrete feces and urine. Choosing winter food is a very painstaking undertaking for them. The ripe sees are thoroughly sorted and all the easily spoiled elements are removed. Hamsters also store live food. On one occasion, 40 different beetles, 4 fly larvae, and 15 spiders were found in the winder food chamber of a Dwarf Hamster. The food items were, practically speaking, frozen food.

There are also some astonishing figures for Field Hamsters. Seven and three-quarters pounds (17kg) of grains were once discovered in a burrow, about 60 times as much as a Field Hamster weighs. An enourmous accomplishment!

A Solitary Nature
Hamsters are known as loners, animals that, except during mating season, meet their fellow species members with aggressiveness and do not form pairs or groups. Free-living hamsters seek out a territory for themselves adn defend it vigorously against intruders. For example, a female tolerates a male only fo rmating and raises the young herself. She treats them solicitously and lovingly until they are independent in three or four weeks, then she drives them away.

A reason for this solitary nature could be the meager enviroment. Prairies and deserts are not very fruitful and other members of the species are competing for food. Breeding and domestication do, however make it possible for some hamster breeds to live together peacefully in pairs.

The Furious Fighter
Hamsters are very energetic when it comes to defending their territory against other hamsters. In the wild, hamsters battles are usually bloodless because the underdog can flee in time, but as a rule, in a serious conflict in a cage, the defeated hamster does nto survive. The situation of having to fight, lose, and then be unable to flee scarcely ever occurs in nature, so this leads to a kind of "no way out" situation in the caged loser. It acts paralyzed, lets itself be bitten and wounded without resisting, and finally succumbs to its wound or dies of stress.

Information about territorial behavior is provided by the following experiment: Two Golden Hamster males were kept in almost-natural circumstances in a 24½-foot (7.5-m) square enclosure, in which they could also dig and burrow. In the first week, each animal was allowed one-half the space for itself to give it the chance to get used to it and be able to mark everything by means of his lateral glands (see how hamsters communicate). After the gates between the halves were opened, there was a wild fight. The weaker hamster fled into its half of the enclosure and from that time on, it had a hard life. It scarcely dared to leave the close vicinity of its burrow. ITt rarely marked, and then only near its own nest.

The dominant male moved freely everywhere, put aside huge stores of food, and marked often, especially at the burrow of the inferior animal. That one of course defended its nest at first, but then, for the most part, simply ran away, even when the stronger one was the intruder.

Even two male hamsters who have been littermates in the nest and have played and rolled around together cannot get along after they have reached maturity. By the time your hamster babies are a month old, you hsould have found new homes for all but one of the males. If you choose to keep more than one male, set each up in his own cage, which will be his own territory. This will prevent death and destruction in your hamster colony.

Understanding Behavior
With some practice, you can usually tell what a hamster is thinking by watching it.

-> My hamster exhibits this behavior.
? What is the hamster trying to say?
! This is the correct way to respond.

-> Threatening also yawning.
? Leave me alone.
! Don't disturb the hamster anymore or it will bite.

-> Its pouches are full to the brim.
? The hamster wants to get to its storage chamber.
! Inspect the storage chamber now and then for spoiled food.

-> The hamster is making sure everything is safe.
? It is checking to see if the coast is clear.
! Watch to see what it does next.

-> Careful sniffing, paw raised to fend off.
? The hamster on top doesn't quite trust the other one.
! If there is a scrap, separate the two.

-> Wrangling over a piece of food.
? Each wants it for itself.
! Keep watch; if there is a fight, separate the two.

-> Relaxed posture, front paws hanging down.
? Feeling easy and calm.
! Leave the hamster alone; it wants to do its own thing.

-> Cleaning the front paws.
? The hamster is going to groom itself.
! You must never disturb a hamster while it is grooming.

-> Freezing, slightly tensed and guarding.
? The hamster is slightly uneasy.
! Try to find out what is making it uneasy and remove the cause.

-> The hamster is gnawing on an ear of corn.
? It is hungry.
! Leave it alone; it will probably take the corn into its burrow.

How Hamsters Communicate
Thanks to their extradionary sense of smell, hamsters have the ability to express moods and send messages to other hamsters by depositing scents. They posses glands for this that discharge a particular secretion. They use these specific scents to mark their territory; especially, after thoroughly sniffing, they mark those places where another hamster has already left a scent marking.

The glands in the Golden Hamster are located on the flanks, as is usual in many other burrow-dwelling animals; therefore, they can even mark narrow cracks in rocks by crawling through them. Chinese Hamsters have additional glands (ventral glands)) on their abdomen, while Dzungarian Dwarf Hamsters have only ventral glands.

Females in estrus mark their territories with secretions from their genital organs, which they press firmly against the ground. Males then know they can approach the female without any great danger. Females not in estrus also dab scent markings on the ground when a male approaches. If they are still pursued, they mark very thoroughly and at very shirt intervals until the male gives up or the female becomes violent.

How Hamsters React to Their Enemies
When a hamster hears a suspicious noise, it checks by standing up on its hind legs and sniffing the air. The greater the suspected danger, the higher it stands up and the longer the checking lasts - sometimes for several seconds. If there are no futher signs of danger, it runs on or continues with its various activities. Hamsters routinely exhibit this behavior on leaving their burrows, stopping briefly in the burrow entrance, checking the air for strange scents, and nothing all suspicious sounds.

Eye to eye with an enemy. Of course, any hamster in this situation first tries to vanish into its burrow. If it no longer has time to run away, it stands up on its hind legs and fills its cheek pouches with air in order to look threatening, This posture may have have a frightening effect on smaller enemies but a dog or other large predator will hardly be impressed by it. Against them, a hamster will sometimes play dead - it falls down and no longer moves. In some cases, this certainly helps.

Do not forget what strength a hamster has in its jaw muscles, which it also knows how to use in times of deepest need. Even a hamster of one of the small species can bite a finger through the bone with the upper and lower incisors. A European Field Hamster once anchored itself in the cheek of large dog and would not be shaken off. Its owner had to free the dog from the furiously snarling hamster.

Avoid Disturbances
Notice what events around the hamster's cage area - noises, movements, appearance of humans, a dog, or a cat - make the hamsters start, lay back its ears, or even flee. It has found something suspicious or it is frightened. Also, abrupt, extended grooming can indicate this. In future, avoid such occurences as much as possible. Try to lessen the anxiety of a nervous animal by offering little gifts of treats. Remain quiet in the vicinity of the cage and do any talking in a soft, deep voice.

Learning Capabilities
Hamster are primarily instinctual animals whose lifestyle and behavior is determined by their genetic makeup; however, they often act with discernment.

• They curiously investigates any new object or situation, and learn about it. Most hamsters immediately start using the exercise equipment that is put there for them.
• They learn to know their caregiver very well and to differentiate him or her from other humans; they imprint his or her scent and voice. Reactions to different people depend on the good or bad experiences that are stored in the hamster's brain. One hamster regularly disappeared into its sleeping house as soon as it heard a neighbour's voice - she once stepped on the hamster by mistake. Fortunately, it was able to escape before she put her full weight down.
• Hamsters also will remember places where they received a treat several times, and beg in that exact same spot when they want another. The animals are particularly resourceful and persistent when it comes to getting a choice morsel of food into their nest.

How Hamsters Move
Hamsters may seem awkward but when one is in flight, it gallops away extraodinarily quickly with legs pumping. On the other hand, if it feels a little uncertain in strange surroundings, it feels its way along slowly with its belly pressed to the ground. There was once a hamster that earned a wonderful name in such situation. Because he pressed himself particularly flat on the ground during his first exercise session, his owner dubbed him "Puddle".

In the evening hours hamster sometimes jump up to 12 inches (30cm) high just for the fun of it.

Swimming is something hamsters do, too, although they do not go into the water voluntarily. Please don't try to see if your own hamster can swim!

HOW-TO: KNOW YOUR PET
It's part of good maintenance for you to learn to understand the body and vocal language of your hamster and allow it to communicate with you. For instance, you'll be able to tell when it is relaxed, nervous, submissive, or dominant toward another hamster. After some observations, you will be able to interpret its moods and respond to them properly. In addition to the language of scents (see how hamsters communicate), your hamster also expresses itself through body language and sounds.

Body Language
Hamsters do not engage in mimicry to any marked extent; therefore, you can try to decode the body language of your hamster by means of careful observations. It is not difficult and it saves you and the animal some unpleasant surprises.

Laid back ears and raised front paw signal anxiety and defense. It is better not to try to take hold of your hamster at this point ant to leave it alone.

If it is relaxed and quiet, the hamster stands on its hind legs with its paws hanging down toward its belly, and the ears are held up stiffly and pointing toward the front of its head. For other behavior patterns and what they mean, see the hamster's body language table.

Language of Sounds
Hamsters do not utter many sounds, but in extreme situations they must and do let out sounds that are audible to humans. The voice plays a greater role with hamsters nestlings than with adult hamsters; the peeping sounds that young hamsters make is interpreted as a call for help - the cry of abandonment or of hunger.

The typical threatening sound during attack or mating is a hiss. The hamster expresses resistance and great fear on being threatened by a superior opponent or a devouring enemy by squealing.

Teeth chattering and squeaking are signs of aggression. First, a warning is given tot he opponent; if the warning is not respected, a serious battle can occur. On the other hand, squeaking is only an accompanying sound in smaller scuffles.

Snarling and growling is heard from male hamsters after mating; these sounds are also signs of aggression.

The Exercise Wheel
The famous exercise wheels have some advantages and disadvantages for hamsters. On one hand, they provide them with exercise. On the other hand, they can become truly addicted to the exercise wheel. Then, night after night, they run constantly, and that can become nerve-racking, since the equipment sometimes rattles and squeaks noisily after prolonged use. If you give your hamster an exercise wheel, choose one that has been stabilized by enclosing its back.

If the cage is large enough and contains enough play equipment and things to climb on, an exercise wheel is not neccessary. Once the hamster has gotten used to this means of exercise, removal of the wheel frustrates it totally and it can become mean, unhappy, and depressed.

Experiments that have been carried out with some mouse species have shown that wood mice that had gotten used to the exercise wheel which was then removed, either crouched the entire night indifferently in a corner of the cage as if they'd been stunned, or began - as a substitute activity - to gnaw furiously on the bars of the cage.

The best solution is to combine nonsquaking exercise wheel with other habitat accessories. Hamsters love to tear around the exercise wheel in a mindless marathon. Without this staple of hamster furniture, your pet will grow fat from lack of exercise, especially if you often treat it to alfalfa rolls, hamster cakes, chew treats, and wild berry yogurt drops. After the hamster has had its run, it should be able to amuse itself with a series of seesaws, tunnels, A-frames, and whatever else you can think of to keep it active and free from boredom. (see HOW-TO: Fun and Games)

HOW-TO: FUN AND GAMES

Why the Hamster Performs Gymnastics and Gnaws
You don't see from looking at a hamster with its round little belly and often bulging cheek pockets how much it loves to exercise. Of course, the horizontal bars of the cage already gurantee some climbing fun, but they become boring over the long term. Your hamster will most certainly be grateful to you for giving it additional climbing equipment.

• Natural branches with rough bark:
  The hamster can climb well on small branches and wear down its toenails, but it can also satisfy its need to gnaw. Get rid of forks that are too narrow, as your hamster can get its feet caught in them. You can fasten the branches between the cage bars.
  
  Use only nonpoisonous branches, such as fruit trees or other trees such as alder, chestnut, lilac, linden, oak, poplar, or willow. Make sure, though, that the branches are definetely not sprayed with pesticides or polluted with exhaust gases (such as those along the roadside). The poisons adhere firmly to the wood. Before you put the branches in the cage, rinse them well with hot water and let them dry.
  
  
• Wooden ladders:
  You can build a ladder to a sleeping house that is attached up high or that can serve as a bridge across natural branches.

• Other equipments: The pet store also has seesaws and carrousels, but these are intended for exercise outside the cage as they take up too much space in the cage. Not suitable for the hamster, however, is any equipment made of plastic - its paws can't get a toehold on the smooth material and plastic can splinter, which the animal then chews on, and internal injuries result. For exercise wheels, see exercise wheel.

Finally, Two Extras
In case you want to offer your hamster something special, here are some suggestions:

Digging and play boxes:
Hamster love to dig. The instinct to create holes and passages is still alive even in domesticated animals and is enjoyed to the fullest. Naturally, surface areas and the depth of the box must be smaller than that of the cage - the deeper and roomier the better.

For litter, an especially thick layer of small animal litter or sterillized soil is recommended.

It's best to make the box available to your hamster at night, the time of its greatest activity, then it can really wear itself out.

Decorative cork as a building element:
Decorative cork is available in any pet store. It is actually intended for aquariums and terrariums, but, thanks to the imagination of the hamster, it is also useful in its cage. Some hamsters use appropriately large and curving pieces of decorative cork as "prefab roofs" for an elegant shelter. They also sleep there.

Tips on Observing Hamsters
For the observations of animals. you need a little quiet and patience, a pencil, and a notebook. Set a time limit (20,30, or 60 minutes).

• How often does the hamster eat? How long does it need to fill its cheek pockets? Does it eat anything with particular eagerness? Which objects in the cage does it use and does it visit most often? How often does it sit up and check the surroundings while it is busy? How long does it need to groom itself thoroughly? Where does it start grooming?
• When there are two or more hamsters, you can compare their behavior. Is one a better eater, sportier, pregnant? Does on groom itself more thoroughly; is one more alert?
• If there are young: Do they play? If yes, how? How often does the mother have contact with the baby?