The steppe hamster (ordinary) is a large self-dispersing species of rodents that has virtually nothing to do with pets. He is distinguished by small ears, well-developed toes on his feet, he copes with digging holes and does other things. But the most important thing is that he is able to live independently, he doesn’t just need the help of a person, the hamster will aggressively take it. It is sometimes safer to meet a snake or a poisonous spider than this wild and vicious rodent.
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You can see quite a few features at one glance at such a rodent as a steppe hamster. The description of its appearance is as follows:
- stocky body with a thick head and short neck;
- small ears, shiny and relatively large eyes;
- short paws with well-developed toes and short claws.
The fur of this animal includes two elements: the base and the undercoat. Thanks to the latter, the hamster can easily endure winters and minus temperatures. Color is usually light yellow or brown. Often there are dark and black spots.
A characteristic feature is that the feet of hamsters are white. But the front and hind limbs on the inside are black.
But this does not mean that it will not work to meet a steppe hamster, which will have a completely different color. Sometimes you can see absolutely white or, on the contrary, completely black representatives of the family.
Separately, it must be said about the size. Males reach a length of 34 cm without tail. The latter can reach up to 5 cm in length.
Distribution area
The steppe hamster is widespread in rather vast territories. It lives on lands from Europe to China. In particular, in Russia it can be found in the vastness from Smolensk to the southern taiga.
For this hamster does not require any special living conditions, which is why it can live almost everywhere. For the most part, animals are found near bread and wheat fields. Some individuals dig their burrows directly on these arable lands. The rest prefer to live closer to a person. They settle near villages and villages. Food is made up of various products from the garden.
There are frequent cases when hamsters visit sheds and pantries. Like domestic mice, they carry stockpiles to their minks. But, unlike them, hamsters are much more dangerous, as they are aggressively opposed to humans. Therefore, you need to set traps, if you suddenly noticed such a "neighborhood".
Hamster hole
The steppe hamster spends most of his life in the hole. This is not due at all to the fact that he is afraid to leave his home. The animal is pretty fearless. But for hunting he needs a lot of rest.
Hamster hole goes deep into the ground by 1-2 meters. It all depends on how easy it is to dig the soil. The basis of the house is:
- living cell;
- inclined exit;
- steep entrance.
The residential camera, in turn, has three "doors". The first two are designed so that the animal can freely go home and go out if necessary. And the third door is oriented to a room with stocks. Only in winter and early spring time the hamster uses the products from there, on the rest of the days it is fed with fresh grains, vegetables and fruits.
How to identify a hamster? You can do this on the characteristic buildings. They are easily recognizable by small heaps of land located directly near the inlet / outlet. They are sprinkled with husk from the grains on top.
With a small stick you can find out if the rodent lives in the hole found. It must be placed inside and then pulled out. If a cobweb, moss, husk or grass is found on it, then the dwelling is abandoned. Not a single hamster will keep his house in a mess.
Steppe hamster feeding
What does a hamster eat? One cannot concretize this moment somehow. It all depends on the place where he lives. If its habitat is focused on places near grain fields, then it will feed mainly on crops. Moreover, its damage to agriculture will be minimal. Moreover, often during their trips for supplies, hamsters eat small insects and animals, which makes it easier for a person to get rid of them.
If the animal settled near the village, then the basis of its diet will be vegetables and those crops that are most popular in the region. But they cannot be collected as supplies for the winter, so hamsters have to tear down people's warehouses and sheds in order to find grain.
There are often cases when hungry animals attack chickens, especially if there is no chicken nearby that can protect them or at least make a noise.
Hibernation
The wild hamster is susceptible to hibernation, since it has no other option than to slow down its metabolism. He begins to wake up when the earth is freezing. This usually happens in February, sometimes a little later.
A notable feature is that the hamster will not immediately open its entrances and exits. First, he will sit in a hole for some time, eating up the rest of the supplies, and only a month later the holes will be open.
Females go outside later, closer to mating time.
First, after hibernation, animals begin to eat seeds and grains that they find in the fields. Then they proceed to young shoots. But at any time after hibernation, hamsters are ready to eat meat. They will not hunt on their own, their diet will be varied only if there is a weak or wounded animal in the way.
Character
The hamster is the most aggressive and evil rodent. If the other species of his family prefer not to appear on a person’s eyes, then this one will rush into battle as soon as possible. Moreover, these animals rush at dogs, which are several times larger than themselves.
If you even consider what the hamster eats, then you can immediately recognize its evil character. For example, if the male does not meet the female during mating, then he will bite her to death. If, during the pairing itself, several applicants line up for the process, rarely the weaker ones manage to survive.
It should be noted animal love for territorial division. Males can control land up to 12 hectares, females - a little less. If another animal enters the territory of one hamster, then a fight ensues. Moreover, the land owner will defend himself as zealously as possible.
Thus, a meeting with a steppe hamster does not bode well. The only way to make him a good pet is to bring a very small individual into the house who will not know how her relatives live.
Breeding hamsters
At the end of May, when it takes 4-5 weeks after mating, the female leaves for her nest. There, 6-18 cubs may be born. At first, the kids will be bald and blind, but each of them already has teeth. Children grow up quickly, literally on the 3rd day the first fluff appears. After a week, they open their eyes and slowly crawl along the nest, getting used to mastering the world.
The steppe hamster shows its loyalty only during mating and raising offspring. Males patronize several territories of females. This is done so that in case of defeat in a fight with the enemy there is an opportunity for procreation with another female. Mothers are loving to babies. Moreover, they will take to feed even other cubs, regardless of their age. But the kids can negatively relate to new neighbors. If the decoy child is smaller, then he will most likely be crushed.
Catching the Steppe Hamsters
Steppe hamsters breed fast in nature. They cannot be called an endangered species, although in many reserves their life is strictly guarded. For this reason, some regions of Russia are engaged in "hamster" fishing.
Catching of animals is carried out in the spring and in the fall. This is done until molting occurs. Moreover, if during the fights, which is often observed among hamsters, the skin was damaged, then the animal is released.
Beasts are caught in special traps. They are installed next to the hole, a little digging. Such devices can slightly damage the limbs, but not the skin. After installing the trap, water is poured into the hole. An animal can be saved only under the condition that at that time it went for supplies.
Skins are used in the clothing industry. Some hunters eat meat, which they say resembles a squirrel. It is considered very tasty, and most importantly - nutritious.
Interesting facts from the life of steppe hamsters
There is no more unique animal than a steppe hamster. Interesting facts from the life of this rodent are common. For example, biologists were very surprised at their great love and ability to swim. In the process, the animal inflates the bags, which are located in the cheeks (there it places supplies), and freely keeps afloat.
Speaking of what the hamster eats, one should not lose sight of its poaching. There have been cases when these animals attacked rabbits listed in the Red Book, gnawed their necks and calmly ate meat.
Due to the fact that hamsters are very aggressive, they have many enemies. And this is good in relation to man. The fact is that if you do not engage in the extermination, which birds of prey do very well, the population will become too large. But on some lands a person has to work independently in order to clean up the territory.
In conclusion, it must be said that there are many features that a hamster has. Steppes and forest-steppe territories received an excellent unique resident, despite all his aggressiveness and viciousness.