AY Honors/Small Mammal Pets/Answer Key

2005-12-18T20:22:35Z

81.178.180.216: /* External links */

{{Taxobox begin | color = pink | name = Golden or Syrian Hamster}}
{{Taxobox image | image = [[Image:100_983.jpg|250px]] | caption = }}
{{Taxobox begin placement | color = pink}}
{{Taxobox regnum entry | taxon = [[Animal]]ia}}
{{Taxobox phylum entry | taxon = [[Chordate|Chordata]]}}
{{Taxobox subphylum entry | taxon = [[Vertebrate|Vertebrata]]}}
{{Taxobox classis entry | taxon = [[Mammal]]ia}}
{{Taxobox ordo entry | taxon = [[Rodent]]ia}}
{{Taxobox subordo entry | taxon = [[Sciurognathi]]}}
{{Taxobox superfamilia entry | taxon = [[Muroidea]]}}
{{Taxobox familia entry | taxon = [[Cricetidae]]}}
{{Taxobox subfamilia entry | taxon = [[Cricetinae]]}}
{{Taxobox genus entry | taxon = ''[[Mesocricetus]]''}}
{{Taxobox species entry | taxon = '''''M. auratus'''''}}
{{Taxobox end placement}}
{{Taxobox section binomial | color = pink | binomial_name = Mesocricetus auratus | author = [[George Robert Waterhouse|Waterhouse]], | date = 1839}}
{{Taxobox end}}

The '''Syrian Hamster''' or '''Golden Hamster''', ''Mesocricetus auratus'', is the best known member of the [[rodent]] [[subfamily]] [[Cricetinae]], the [[hamster]]s. They may now be [[extinct]] in nature, but are popular as house pets all across the world, and are also used in scientific research. Adults grow from 12.5 to 17.5 cm (5 to 7 inches) in length, and in captivity will usually live from 2 to 3 years.

==Biology==
Like most members of the subfamily, the Golden Hamster has expandable cheek pouches, which reach from its cheeks to its shoulders. In the wild, hamsters are [[larder hoarding|larder hoarders]], and they use their cheek pouches to transport food to their burrows. They can load a remarkable amount of food into their pouches; their name in the local [[Arabic language|Arabic]] dialect in the area where they are found translates as "father of saddlebags" أبو جراب. If food is plentiful, they will store it in large amounts, and it has been reported that 25 kg of grain was found in the burrow of a single hamster.

Most hamsters in American and English pet stores are Syrian Hamsters. ''Teddy Bear'' is a term sometimes used for the longhaired variety of the Syrian Hamster, and the so-called ''Black Bear'' hamster is just a Syrian Hamster with black fur. All of them may well indeed be the descendants of a single mother.

Golden Hamsters have been used in scientific research, in the study of many diseases, and also in the study of behaviour. They have a number of [[fixed action pattern]]s that are readily observed, including scent-marking.

It is widely used in medical research, particularly in airway and respiratory physiology research.

== Discovery ==

In [[1839]] [[Britain|British]] [[zoologist]] [[George Robert Waterhouse]] reportedly found an elderly female hamster in Syria, naming it ''Cricetus auratus,'' the Golden Hamster. The hamster's fur was on display at the [[British Museum (Natural History)]]. The Syrian Hamster was then ignored by European science for the next century. Around 1930, zoologist and Professor at the University of Jerusalem [[Israel Aharoni]] found a mother and litter of hamsters in the [[Syria]]n desert. By the time he got back to his lab, most had died or escaped. The remaining hamsters were given to the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]], where they were successfully bred. They were a bit bigger than the ones Waterhouse found, so they were named ''Mesocricetus auratus'', although they were probably the same species. ''Mesocricetus auratus'' is the currently accepted scientific name of Syrian Hamsters.

Descendants of these hamsters were shipped to scientific labs around the world, for use as research animals. They arrived in the [[United Kingdom]] in 1931, and in 1938 reached the United States. Just about all Golden Hamsters are descended from the original litter found in Syria, except for a few that were brought into the United States by travellers who found them in the desert. A separate stock of hamsters was imported into the US in 1971, but it isn't known if any of today's North American pets are descended from them.

==See also==
*[[Hamster]]

==External links==
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=10036&lvl=3&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock Genome information]
*[http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/thumbnails.php?album=9 Pictures of a Syrian or golden hamster]
*[http://www.hamsterhouse.co.uk/wiki/doku.php/hamsters:syrian Syrian Hamsters Hamsterhouse]

[[Category:Animals kept as pets]]
[[Category:Hamsters]]

[[bg:Златист хамстер]]
[[de:Goldhamster]]
[[he:אוגר זהוב]]
[[fi:Kultahamsteri]]
[[nl:Goudhamster]]
[[pl:Chomik syryjski]]
[[sv:Guldhamster]]

AY Honors/Small Mammal Pets/Answer Key

2005-12-18T20:20:20Z

81.178.180.216: /* External links */

{{Taxobox_begin | color=pink | name=Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster}}
{{Taxobox image | image = [[Image:Phodopus_sungorus2.jpg|250px]] | caption = Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster}}
{{Taxobox_begin_placement | color = pink}}
{{Taxobox_regnum_entry | taxon = [[Animal]]ia}}
{{Taxobox_phylum_entry | taxon = [[Chordate|Chordata]]}}
{{Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = [[Mammal]]ia}}
{{Taxobox_ordo_entry | taxon = [[Rodentia]]}}
{{Taxobox_subordo_entry | taxon=[[Sciurognathi]]}}
{{Taxobox_infraordo_entry | taxon=[[Myodonta]]}}
{{Taxobox_superfamilia_entry | taxon = [[Muroidea]]}}
{{Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = [[Cricetidae]]}}
{{Taxobox_subfamilia_entry | taxon = [[Cricetinae]]}}
{{Taxobox_genus_entry | taxon=''[[Phodopus]]''}}
{{Taxobox_end_placement}}
{{Taxobox_section_subdivision | color = pink |plural_taxon= Binomial name}}
*''Phodopus sungorus''
*''Phodopus sungorus sungorus''
(see text)
{{Taxobox_end}}
'''Winter White Russian hamsters''' are a species of [[hamster]] in the genus ''[[Phodopus]]''. They are typically half the size of the better-known [[Syrian hamster]], and therefore called dwarf hamsters along with all ''Phodopus'' species. Features include a typically dark grey dorsal stripe and furry feet. The tail is so short that it hardly shows if the hamster is sitting. In the winter, Winter Whites can turn almost completely white, hence the name Winter White. This is due to a reduction of '''sunlight''', in Winter, there is less light, this causes the hamsters coat to change completely white, this is to help them evade predators in the snow covered Steppes of winter.

[[Image:Phodopus_sungorus.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster, normal color]]
Up until recently, it was debated wether the Winter White hamster was a sub-species of the Campbells (''Phodopus campbelli'') or not, however, it has now been proven that the Winter whites are of their own species ''Phodopus sungorus''.

==Winter White Russian hamsters as pets==
They are often found on the [[pet]] market, in [[Europe]] and [[Asia]] more so than in the [[US]]. Care is similar to that of the Campbells [[hamster]]. Winter White hamsters generally make excellent pets, however, a larger Syrian [[hamster]] would be more suitable for younger childeren as they can be handled more clumsily. Winter White hamsters should not be fed food containing sources of [[simple sugar]] because of the risk of developing [[diabetes mellitus]].

Winter White's, like their close relatives the Campbell's, can be housed together in pairs or trio's, or perhaps more. They enjoy each others company and are possibly the most communal hamsters in terms of living arrangements.

In general, dwarf hamsters typically have more of a family structure than the Syrian hamster. Dwarf hamsters will happily live in mated pairs, with both male and female caring for the young, but some report that same-sex pairs and larger groups will rarely get along well, as they wouldn't live together like that in nature. Frequent fighting may occur and be a great distress for them, or even lead to deadly incidents. This is in contrast to the Campbell's species and remains an item of dispute among hamster owners.

Winter White hamsters used to be only available in their typical Brown/black "Normal" color, but they are now available in a variety of colors. Colors include at least normal (dark grey/brown), pearl normal, sapphire and pearl sapphire variations. However, these colors may be difficult to find, and the number of available colors is much smaller than in the dwarf Campell's hamster.

== External links ==

* [http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/dwarf_winter_white_russian_hamsters.htm PetWebSite pages on Winter Whites]

[http://www.hamsterhouse.co.uk/wiki/doku.php/hamsters:dwarf:winterwhite Winter White Hamsters Hamsterhouse]

[[Category:Hamsters]]
[[Category:Animals kept as pets]]

[[de:Dsungarischer Zwerghamster]]
[[fi:Venäjänkääpiöhamsteri]]
[[ja:ジャンガリアンハムスター]]
[[nl:Russische dwerghamster]]
[[pl:Chomik dżungarski]]

Pathfinder Wiki - User contributions [en]

AY Honors/Small Mammal Pets/Answer Key

AY Honors/Small Mammal Pets/Answer Key