Projects With Hamsters

Hamsters are interesting little mammals, guided by their basic instincts and curious nature. Because they are both easy to care for and inexpensive to keep, they are often used as the subject of research projects by students of all ages. Recording a hamster's responses to various stimuli can provide insight into what motivates these pocket pets, which can lead to a more satisfying relationship between pet and owner.

  1. Response to Light

    • Hamsters are nocturnal by nature, and one of the more popular projects involving these rodents is to record how changes in exposure to light and darkness affects their behavior. For example, the Learner Science website suggests placing the hamster's habitat in a room in which light can be controlled. By turning on the light during the evening and turning if off during the daylight hours, you can study whether a hamster can be you tricked into thinking that night is day and day is night, or if their intrinsic clock keeps them regulated to their normal sleeping cycle.

    Gender Differences

    • The battle between the sexes can be applied to the hamster species in a variety of ways. For example, using both a female and male hamster, you can place each in a maze repeatedly and see which one seems to memorize the correct way out the quickest. Or, you can offer each of them the same types of treats, like strawberries and carrots, and see if gender makes a difference in terms of food preference. Other variables that can be studied using male and female hamsters in a maze, according to the Just About Science website, include the number of calories burned by each sex during each maze run or their respiration rates before and after the maze completion.

    Sensory Perception

    • According to the Hamsters as Pets website, hamsters have very poor eyesight, but are able to compensate by having very keen senses of smell and sound. Hamsters use their noses to find food, mates and homes, opening up the door for several project possibilities. For example, you can calculate how long it takes a male to find a female that is out of sight by using its sense of smell. Or, you can record how long it takes a hamster to find some carefully hidden food morsels. The response to various noises is another appropriate experiment, as long as the project is halted if the hamster seems uncomfortable or overly scared.