Hamsters are small frisky animals, which are easy and pleasant to keep in the house, and quite a small space will be enough. Caring for them is simple, and you can even entrust it to a child. When buying this animal, even sellers sometimes can not answer the question of how to determine the gender of the hamster.
Who are hamsters?
The hamster family includes small rodents with short legs and a small tail. The body is tightly folded, its length can be from 5 to 34 cm. They have special cheek pouches that are designed to carry food, giving these animals a special charm. In nature, they live in the steppe regions of Europe and Asia, you can meet them even at an altitude of 3600 m. Often these animals are found near human dwellings, in gardens and kitchen gardens where they are pests.
Varieties of hamsters
In the hamster family, 7 genera and 19 species are distinguished. Among them there are specimens of different colors and coat lengths. Most often, near a human habitation, you can meet an ordinary hamster, which can turn out to be a serious adversary and leave deep traces of its teeth, because it is comparable in size to a rat. And houses most often contain such varieties as medium-sized hamsters (usually Syrian) and small Dzungarian, similar to furry gray mice.
Home hamsters
Due to the playful character and cheerful disposition, some of them are kept in captivity at home. These are mainly Syrian hamsters, Dzungarian hamsters, Campbell and Roborovsky hamsters . When buying such a beast, you need to decide what size animal you want to get, and it is advisable to find out how to find out the gender of the hamster. You also need to consider that almost all hamsters are single-handedly. Therefore, if you try to keep them together, fights and other troubles can arise. Even in the case when animals are of different sexes.
A particularly large variety of colors and shapes of wool are Syrian hamsters. It is among them that one can meet rodents with long hair, which are sometimes called "Angora". These fluffy babies look especially interesting, but there is always a problem how to determine the gender of a hamster with such a fur coat. Often also pay attention to small Dzungarian hamsters. They require very little space for upkeep, but they will delight the eye, gaily rustling in sawdust or concentrating on running in a wheel. As a result of breeding and selection, even curly hamsters are bred.
How to determine the gender of a hamster?
This is important if several animals are purchased for further breeding (once again we recall that they must be kept separately), and, of course, when the name for the pet is chosen. The main difference between males and females is a different distance between the genitals and the anus. In girls, these two holes are located close, at a distance of about 3 mm, and in boys - much further, 1.5 cm. Before determining the gender of the hamster, it is most convenient to gently take it by the scruff of the neck. In this case, the animal instinctively stretches out and spreads its hind legs. However, if the question is how to determine the gender of the Dzungarian hamster - baby, it is better to act differently. You should put the animal on the back in its palm, holding the upper part of its body with the thumb. Then the genitals will be clearly visible.
Determining the gender of a hamster is a simple task, but when buying it is better to study the animal yourself, and not rely entirely on the seller.