Habitat for Syrian Hamsters

The Syrian, or golden, hamster is one of the most well-known small pets. It's easy to care for and generally trouble free in a domestic environment. However, such animals still exist in the wild and live much different lives than they would in a household cage. such animals can still be found in the wild, says Hammy's World.

  1. Origin

    • Syrian hamsters get their name from the country they were first discovered in: Syria. However, they were believed to be nonexistent in Syria since the 1980s until a population of hamsters was found on the Turkish-Syrian border in 2000. Today, the Syrian hamster is commonly found in the Hauran Mountains, a range located in southwestern Syria and throughout Turkey. They can also be found in the rocky deserts of the Middle East and in areas of Europe.

    Burrowing

    • In the wild, the hamsters live in desert-like climates where the nights are cold and the days are hot. Syrian hamsters are nocturnal and feed at night. During the day, they live in deep tunnels that they burrow in the sand to remain cool. The hamsters are territorial and typically live alone. Males and females only come together to reproduce. Pet stores also sell plastic tubes and special cages that give hamsters a tunnel-like environment.

    Diet

    • In its natural habitat, the Syrian hamster will roam an area of about three miles in search of food, states the British Broadcasting Corporation. This diet generally consists of fruit, seeds and vegetation. Hamsters are also known to hoard their food, which they accomplish by stuffing food in their mouths and storing it in their underground burrows. This ensures that they have enough food during the year when it's scarce.

    Activity

    • It's no coincidence that pet stores sell things like exercise balls and exercise wheels for pet hamsters. Hamsters wake up at night full of energy, ready to search for food, whether it be in a cage or in the wild. They move quickly throughout their underground tunnels and on the ground looking for food. In the wild, this is how they burn off their energy. But as a domestic pet, it can sometimes disturb one's slumber with its activity.