Very often, as pets, owners of urban apartments and houses prefer to choose small animals. One of these individuals are hamsters presented in a large variety of species. Hamster Campbell is a rather popular small rodent, which can very often be found in urban dwellings as a funny small pet.
Description of breed
In the genus of the Mokhnogich Rodents there are several types of animals, one of which is Hamster Campbell, named so in honor of one British consul. However, domestic scientists were engaged in a more detailed study of the small animal, so its second name and its second name - Russian dwarf hamster.
The breed in a natural environment is actively inhabited by most of the post-Soviet space, prefers to settle in the steppes and deserts, creating underground holes and entire tunnels.
A characteristic feature of individuals is the physiological lack of the need to fall into hibernation with the arrival of cold weather, in addition, the coat color among Russian dwarf hamsters remains unchanged throughout the season.
These are night rodents that can control the body temperature, lifting it up to + 40 ° C in wakeful state, the oxide temperature of the rodent decreases to + 20 ° C. Such features make it possible to save strength to economically even if the hamsters are quite active. Such characteristics of a small animal should consider when choosing a place to place their house in the home.
Adults are quite modest sizes: the length of the rodent body is about 7 centimeters with a mass of 50-60 grams. The head in an animal is round, with a pointed face and small ears. Paws are covered with fur, pupils from Campbell hamsters can be black or red, which increases their decorative attractiveness.
The tail is so small that under wool sticking in different directions, almost impaired. Rodent fur coat can have several color options. Today, the most common types are the following:
- Auti. - An animal with a dark strip along the back, a light stomach and a sandy back;
- Self - rodent with a monophonic fur coat throughout the body, sometimes on the abdomen of the animal you can find whiten stains.
As a result of crossbars, hamsters of black, turtle, silver and even white colors were also bred.
Initially, this hamster was referred to by Dzungar, however, these small rodents are quite easy to distinguish each other due to external characteristics.
- First of all, it concerns the color of the eyes. Only Russian dwarf hamsters can have red paint color.
- Hamster Campbell has wool on the limbs.
- Russian dwarf individuals do not change the color of their wool, focusing at the time of year.
- Differences relate to the characteristic strips on the back. Rodents of Campwell, she is thin and does not go to the muzzle.
- In addition, individuals have a different body shape. So, the Jungian hamster when considering from above will have an egg-shaped form, while the dwarf rodent, rather, will be visually similar to the figure eight.
Character and behavior
The temper of small animals deserves separate attention, because individuals are distinguished by their aggressive behavior not only when contacting the rest of the hamsters, but they can be hostile to their owners. It is expressed in bitees that can be obtained from rodent when contacting it. Therefore, you can often find recommendations regarding refusal to acquire such a pet for young children.
However, such hamster reactions are most often caused by a response to external stimuli. Therefore, the breeders of dwarf animals highlight a number of situations that should be avoided if Kampbell hamsters live in the house.
- When contacting one individual or several hamsters should not be made of sharp movements. This concerns feeding, games and other joint action.
- If there is a desire to take an animal in your arms, then they should not smell food, otherwise the hamster can take the limbs for a potential source of food.
- Reduce the aggression of pets will be able to be located in the house in animals of the stone, which they will use to steal their teeth.
- It should be correctly taken rodents on the hands - only below either with one of the parties. An alternative option will be the placement of a hand next to the rodent so that he can get on it on its own.
Typing the animal when you meet or contact you can treat, communication with a smooth voice. If the pet bit his owner, then this place should be displaced with peroxide.
Life expectancy
From the diet will be directly dependent on the life expectancy of animals. In the wild, their life cycle on average is about three or four years. The owner of dwarf hamsters should be thoroughly approaching the feeding issue so that the purchased pet has lived in the house as long as possible.
In addition to the main moment that determines the life cycle of rodent, animals may face the potential danger in the dwelling. This applies to other pets, such as cats or a galant relationship of breeders who can leave a hamster outside the cell unattended.
How to determine the floor?
Sometimes for breeders fundamentally important is the question of sexuality acquired or born individuals. In ordinary hamsters, determine the floor will be at times easier, as for dwarf rocks, it is necessary to be guided by certain external distinctive features to establish the floor.
- An animal must be raised behind the abdomen of belly. This body position will force a hamster to push the lower limbs.
- The task of determining the floor is reduced to setting the distance between the sexual organs and the anal opening of the individual. The females in this area in most cases will be absent. As for the half-legged male individuals, they will always be wet in this area. This is due to the active work of the glands.
- In females, the distance will be minimal, iron is practically not visualized. From the chest will be two rows of nipples. The males of iron will be pronounced, it is possible to note its external similarity with the navel. In addition, there will be a significant distance between the anal opening and sexual body.
How to choose and equip the cage?
In the wild, the Russian dwarf hamster lives together with his numerous relatives, but in the captivity of rodents, they are still advised to contain separately. In particular, it concerns adult hamsters that regularly fight for the territory.
The hamster will feel great in an aquarium or a cage with very small rods, located as close as possible to each other. The optimal size of the house is 40x60 centimeters. In an aquarium or a cell, it is necessary to equip a house for rodent, in the light of your natural instincts hamster, it is necessary to hide in which it can hide, sleep and store its stocks.
The best material for it will be plastic, because the rodent wood is rather quickly staring with its teeth.
It should also be properly picking a litter, it can be wood chips or sawdust. The specialized departments for animals sell formulations that can be used as fillers for animal house. From cotton, yarn and paper should be refused.
This option should be selected, which will be convenient for cleaning, the order in the house is necessary several times a week, otherwise the smell from the excrement of rodent will quickly fill all the dwelling, they should be removed daily.
A place for a house with animals is worth choosing away from heating devices, batteries, direct rays of ultraviolet and drafts. The rodent feeder should be heavy so that the animal does not overturn it. This also applies to the drinking box, it will be more correct to purchase a product that can be mounted for the rods of the house. As an additional needed things in a hamster in a house, you can put a bath for water procedures and even a tray-toilet.
For Games Games, it is not recommended to release to run through the dwelling, for physical exertion it will be enough running wheel.
During scheduled cleaning, it is impossible to remove the entire litter from the cell, since the pet is quite sensitive to the change of the situation. All hygiene activities should be carried out without the use of household chemicals, the use of food soda or dental powder is allowed as an alternative.
Content and care
In addition to issues relating to the arrangement of the house and its hygiene, for the health of the animal living in the house, you need to take care of its diet and leisure.
What and how to feed?
The rodent menu must be balanced and diverse, most often breeders prefer to use store specialized food for nutritional hamsters. However, besides the mixture, in the diet of the pet should include fresh food. It can be a zucchini, cucumber, corn, carrots. Of the sweet seasonal berries and fruits, rodents can offer bananas, apples, pears, grapes.
For the health of the body, the hamster will need to regularly replenish its protein stock, Therefore, no more often once every seven days, he needs to enter boiled low-fat fish, cottage cheese. Rodents are well eating greens.
Products that are strictly forbidden to give pets should include all types of citrus fruits, smoked and sausages, sweet, bakery products.
In addition to food, animals will need drinking water, which constantly should be in their home. The absence of fluid can cause dehydration of an animal, which is fraught with its death. It is worth adding acetylsalicylic acid to the water, change the liquid is recommended every other day. Many breeders recommend every six months to give pets vitamins that are implemented in retauchecas and stores. To care for your teeth, the animal will need a chalk stone, thanks to which he will be able to carry out his growing teeth.
Games and entertainment
Since animals are highlighted by high activity, it is important for them to organize a good leisure in the housing. As a favorite toy, the labyrinth, ball, wheel should be selected. The last gaming subject in the house or aquarium will act as the prevention of the peptation of the pet, which will have a positive effect on the duration of his life.
Reproduction
Half-spread individuals of dwarf hamsters become pretty early: as a rule, a female at the age of three months is already able to reproduce offspring. However, to achieve one year, it will be all heavier to give birth to a young one with each time it is connected with the characteristics of the skeleton. Over the time, the bones of females become too hard.
The process of reproduction begins early in spring and continues until the autumn arrival. During this period, a young person can bring up to four regions. Campbell hamster breeders do not recommend crossing close relatives among themselves, since it is fraught with various genital mutations.
Creating a pair of hamsters in captivity should be gradual because Oracle is distinguished by aggressive temper. First, future parents are placed in one cell, but with a special partition, which will exclude fights between animals. After they are accustomed to each other, you can go to a closer contact. When a challenge occurs, the male should be separated from the female again. The pregnant female must provide materials for the construction of the nest.
For the offspring the breeder is recommended to buy a more spacious house.
Pregnancy lasts only three weeks, at this time rodent need to be introduced into the diet as much as possible food containing protein, as well as regularly give a female dill, parsley. Young hamsters are born without wool, they have not yet developed hearing and vision organs, it is impossible to touch them, since the female in the presence of alien smells can eat their offspring. Therefore, the first time with new pets does not have to contact.
About how Hamster Campbell looks like, look in the following video.