Steppe hamster: description and photo. What feeds the hamster

Steppe hamster (common) is a large samorasselyayuschiesya species of rodents, which has virtually nothing to do with pets. He is distinguished by small ears, well-developed toes on his feet, he is excellent at digging burrows and is engaged in other affairs. But the most important thing is that he is able to live independently, he does not need a man's help, the hamster will take it aggressively. Sometimes it is much safer to meet a snake or poisonous spider than this wild and vicious rodent.

Description of the species

You can see quite a lot of features at a 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 huge eyes;
• Short paws with well-developed fingers and short claws.

The fur of this animal includes two elements: the base and the undercoat. Thanks to the latter, the hamster can easily tolerate winters and minus temperatures. The color is usually light yellow or brown. Often there are dark and black spots.

A characteristic feature is that the feet of the hamsters are white. But the forelegs and hind legs are black on the inside.

But this does not mean that it will not be possible to meet a steppe hamster, which will have a completely different color. Sometimes you can see absolutely white or, on the contrary, quite black representatives of the family.

Separately, I must say about the size. Males reach a length of 34 cm without taking into account the tail. The latter can reach up to 5 cm in length.

Distribution area

Steppe hamster is common in fairly extensive areas. It lives on lands from Europe and to China. In particular, in Russia it can be found in the open spaces from Smolensk to the southern taiga.

This hamster does not require any special living conditions, which is why it can live virtually everywhere. For the most part, animals are found near grain and wheat fields. Some individuals dig their holes directly on these arable land. Others prefer to live closer to the person. They settle near villages and villages. Food is made up of different products from the garden.

It is not uncommon for hamsters to visit barns and storerooms. Like home mice, they take supplies to their burrows. But, unlike them, hamsters are much more dangerous, because they are aggressively against a person. Therefore, you need to arrange traps, if suddenly such a "neighborhood" was noticed.

Hamster's hole

Steppe hamster spends most of his life in the hole. This is not due to the fact that he is afraid to leave the boundaries of his home. The animal is quite fearless. But for hunting, he needs a lot of rest.

The hamster's burrow goes deep into the earth for 1-2 meters. It all depends on how easy it is to dig the soil. The basis of the house is:

• Living chamber;
• Inclined exit;
• Sheer entrance.

The living chamber, in turn, has three "doors". The first two are designed to allow the animal to go home without hindrance and go out if necessary. And the third door is oriented to a premise with stocks. Only in winter and early spring time the hamster uses products from there, on the remaining days its food is made up of fresh grains, vegetables and fruits.

How to identify a hamster? You can do this on the characteristic buildings. They are easily recognized by small groups of earth, located directly near the entrance / exit aperture. They topple the husks from the grains.

Using 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 it is found cobwebs, moss, husks or grass, then the dwelling is abandoned. No hamster will keep his house in a mess.

Steppe hamster food

What does the hamster eat? You can not somehow specify this point. Everything depends on the place where he lives. If its habitat is oriented to places near grain fields, then it will be fed mostly by grain crops. At the same time, its damage to agriculture will be minimal. Moreover, often during their hikes for supplies, hamsters eat small insects and animals, thus facilitating the person's task of getting rid of them.

If the animal has settled near the village, then the basis of its diet will be vegetables and those cultures that are most popular in the region. But they can not be collected as supplies for the winter, so hamsters have to ruin the warehouses and sheds of people to find grains.

It is not uncommon for hungry animals to attack chickens, especially if there is no chicken near them, capable of protecting them or even making a noise.

Hibernation

A wild hamster is susceptible to hibernation, since it has no other option, except slow metabolism, to transfer harsh weather conditions. He starts to wake up when the earth is freezing. Usually this happens in February, sometimes later.

A notable feature is that the hamster will not immediately open its entrances and exits. At first he will sit for a while in the hole, eating up the leftovers, and only after a month the holes will be opened.

The females go out later, closer to the time of mating.

First, after hibernation, the animals begin to eat seeds and grains, which they find in the fields. Then they start young shoots. But at any time after hibernation hamsters are ready to eat meat. They will not hunt independently, their diet will be varied only if a weak or wounded animal comes on the way.

Character

The hamster is the most aggressive and evil rodent. If the rest of his family prefers not to appear in person's eyes, then this one will rush into battle as soon as possible. Moreover, these animals rush to dogs, which are several times larger than themselves.

If you even consider what the hamster feeds, you can immediately recognize its evil nature. For example, if a male meets a female not during mating, then he will gnaw it to death. If, during the mating process, several applicants are lined up for the process, then seldom the weaker ones manage to survive.

It is impossible not to note the love of animals for territorial division. Males can control up to 12 hectares of land, females - slightly less. If another hamster enters the territory of one hamster, then a fight starts. And the landlord will be the most zealously defended.

Thus, there is no good meeting with the steppe hamster. The only way to make him a good pet is to bring a very small specimen into the house, who will not know how her relatives live.

Reproduction of hamsters

At the end of May, when it takes 4-5 weeks after mating, the female travels to its nest. There can be 6-18 cubs born. At first the kids will be bald and blind, but each of them already has teeth. Children grow quickly, literally on the third day, the first fluff appears. In a week they open their eyes and slowly creep along the nest, getting used to mastering the world.

Steppe hamster shows its loyalty only during mating and rearing of offspring. Males take care of several areas of females. This is done so that in case of defeat in a fight with the enemy there was an opportunity for the continuation of the genus with another female. Mothers are loving to babies. And they will take even other cubs for feeding, regardless of their age. But kids can negatively treat new neighbors. If the child is a smaller child, it is likely to be crushed.

Fishing for steppe hamsters

Steppe hamsters in nature multiply rapidly. They can not be called a vanishing species, although in many reserves their lives are strictly protected. For this reason, some regions of Russia are engaged in "hamster" industry.

Catching animals is carried out in the spring and autumn. This is done until the moult comes. Moreover, if during fights, which are often observed among hamsters, the skin was damaged, then the animal is released to freedom.

The animals are caught in special traps. They are installed next to the hole, dropping a bit. Such adaptations can slightly damage the limbs, but not the skin. After installing the trap, water is poured into the burrow. An animal can be saved only on the condition that at that time it went for supplies.

Skins are used in the garment industry. Some hunters consume meat, which is said to resemble a squirrel. It is considered very tasty, and most importantly - nutritious.

Interesting facts about the life of steppe hamsters

There is no more unique animal than a steppe hamster. Interesting facts about the life of this rodent are often found. For example, biologists were very surprised by their great love and ability to swim. In the process, the animal inflates bags that are located in the cheeks (where it also places provisions), and freely keeps afloat.

Talking about what feeds a hamster, one can not lose sight of his poaching activities. There were cases when these animals attacked rabbits listed in the Red Book, cut their necks and calmly regaled themselves with meat.

Because hamsters are very aggressive, they have many enemies. And it is good in relation to man. The fact is that if you do not engage in extermination, which birds of prey perfectly cope with, the population will become too large. But on some lands a person has to work on his own to clear the territories.

In conclusion, I must say that there are many features that a hamster possesses. Steppes and forest-steppe territories received an excellent unique resident, despite all his aggressiveness and spitefulness.