A LITTLE HAMSTER HISTORY:
The first recording of the Golden Hamster (or Syrian) appeared
in the second edition of the
Natural History of Aleppo. Although Alexander Russell published the first edition in 1797,
it is unknown whether he or his brother, Patrick, published the second edition and
discovered the Syrian hamster.
But what ever the case, the Syrian hamster was not recorded
as a new species at that time, and furthermore, there doesn't
appear to be an actual first
recording of the Syrian hamster anywhere as a new species. George Robert Waterhouse,
curator
of the London Zoological Society, eventually named the Syrian (or Golden)
hamster in the year 1839. Originally the Syrian
was called Cricetus Auratus, but later was
changed to Mesocricetus Auratus. The majority of Syrian hamsters in captivity
were captured
by Israel Aharoni, a zoologist, at the request of Saul Alder, a researcher on Leishmaniasis
who required
hamsters that would breed more readily than the Chinese hamsters he'd been
working with. On April 12, 1930 Aharoni found
a female Syrian hamster and 11 young. Several
problems occured with the family, including cannibalism of one of the litter
by it's mother
which led to the mother being destroyed by it's captors. The remaining pups were hand
reared with some
losses and two of the hamsters escaping. Four of the litter remained
however and survived til adulthood and later successfully
were bred in the laboratory. The
resulting hamster line was used extensively in laboratories until they were introduced
into
the British pet market in the 1940s. The first British hamster club was formed in 1945. The
species Mesocricetus
Auratus is frequently referred to as either the Golden or the Syrian
hamster. Syrian is perhaps a term that is clearer
since "Golden" is also used as a
description of one of the Syrian's various coat colors (often referred to as the "natural"
or "wild" coat color). Due to the length of time that the Syrian has been a popular pet, it
has emerged with several
different colors and coat varieties. In the wild Syrian hamsters
live deep underground in burrows, often several feet
in depth. Like most hamsters, the
Syrian is nocturnal, and spends most of its day sleeping. This has a lot to do with
the
climate in their native Syria which is very hot during the day, and considerably cooler at
night. Syrian hamsters
are solitary animals and should not be kept together when housing,
the result would likely be aggression and conflicts
that could result in serious injuries
and possibly even the death of one of the hamsters.
SYRIAN VARIETIES:
Although there are well over 40 various colors
of Syrian hamsters there are only three types
of coats: SHORT HAIR: Sometimes referred to as "Fancy" LONG HAIR: Often referred
to as
"Teddy Bear". With long hairs the male's hair is longer than that of the female. REX: Not
normally available
in pet shops, the hair has the appearance of being lifted by shorter
guard hairs. Rexes also have curly whiskers. All
three coats also come in Satin, a gene
that creates a glossy appearance because the hair is thinner and doesn't have as
many
air-filled cells which creates a more reflective surface. Although there are three patterns
or markings, only
two are commonly used and referred to today, those two are the Banded and
the Dominant Spot.
PIEBALD: The first spotting gene discovered in the Syrian that
is sometimes called irregular
spotting. The patterns derived from piebald are haphazard and occasionally there is some
brindling.
BANDED: A white band around the middle of the body. For show purposes
the band should
comprise about one third of the full body length. Exact markings are difficult to breed and
many banded
Syrians seen in pet stores have color intermingled in the band. Belly fur is
white. (see photo at right)
DOMINANT SPOT: As the name implies, there are patches of white
over the entire face and
back, with a blaze on the forehead. Spots will sometimes be on the ears as well. Belly fur
is
always white. Note: The Calico, which is created with either the Banded or the Dominant
Spot, is sometimes referred to
as the Tri-Color and is more commonly known as the
Tortoiseshell and White within Europe. (see photo at right)
LETHAL AND SEMI-LETHAL GENES:
Some Syrian hamsters carry what
are referred to as lethal or semi-lethal genes: A lethal
gene is created when a mutation carries a "double helping" of
a particular gene. The result
will be the death of the hamster. The only lethal genes currently known that the average
pet
owner might come into contact with is the Light Grey (or Lethal Grey) and the Dominant Spot.
There are other lethal
genes out there but they are not in general circulation and most are
confined primarily to laboratories. In the event that
two hamsters carrying lethal genes
are bred, approximately one quarter of the unborn pups will die before the birth. Under
normal conditions the mother's body would absorb the dead pups, if not, it is likely that
the mother will also die.
Any surviving hamsters with these genes do not generally show any
adverse affects.
ANOPTHALMIC WHITES:
The Anopthalmic White, also referred
to as the "eyeless white" or "blind white" carries a
semi-lethal gene. These hamsters are generally recognized to be white
bellied hamsters (the
Roan and some Black Eyed Whites are Anopthalmic Whites). If two hamsters carrying the
Anopthalmic
White gene are bred, approximately one quarter of the litter will be eyeless
(with the eyes being either totally non-existent
or merely rudimentary).
SYRIAN SCENT GLANDS:
Sometimes referred to as "hip spots", Syrians
have scent glands located on each hip. Like
other mammals, the Syrian uses its scent glands as a means of marking their
territory by
rubbing these glands on vertical objects. In the wild, this is known to other hamsters that
a marked area
is "taken" or "controlled" by the marking hamster. The second use of the scent
glands is to create an odor that indicates
the hamster is ready for mating. This is used by
females in the wild to lure males to their burrows. Occasionally the glands
secrete a sticky
substance, which is more prominent on the males. This is normal and should not be cause for
alarm.
On rare occasions however, these glands may become blocked creating a sore and
inflamed area. Should this happen to your
hamster it is advisable to see a veterinarian.
