Rodents alphabetically. Rodents. The common beaver is a hardworking builder. Description and photo of the common beaver

In the article I will consider the different types and which rodent to choose as a pet, their maintenance and breeding. I will tell you about the features of caring for each type of animal from the list.

The most popular types of rodents for home keeping

Hamsters

The cost of the animal is from 200 rubles and more.

This is a cute nocturnal animal. It is quite difficult to tame him, but it is possible. For its maintenance, you will need from strong rods with a house, a pair of ladders or tunnels and feeders.

The cost of the animal is from 300 to 500 rubles.

Or the Chilean squirrel weighs an average of 300-500 g and reaches a length of 30 cm. The rodent itself is inexpensive, but its maintenance requires money and time. First of all, he needs a home. Since this is a protein, then the corresponding cell is needed. The cost of a cage for squirrels is 3000-3500 rubles.

Degu is a pack animal, so it does not get along well with other animals. Alone, the Chilean squirrel lives much less. They are comfortable to keep in pairs.

The degu's coat is dense and coarse, so it should be brushed regularly. The animal will cope with this on its own, but it needs a sand bath installed in the cage.

Grabbing or lifting a degu by the tail is strictly prohibited. If you pinch his tail, the skin will peel off and the animal will run away. The exposed section of the tail bleeds and dies.

Degus are very sensitive to heat and high humidity, cold and noise. The optimum temperature for it is 24-26 degrees. Pungent odors also adversely affect the condition of the animal.

Also, a cage with an animal cannot be placed next to such houseplants as:

• Sanseviera;
• Room feces (Spathiphyllum);
• Feronia;
• threader;
• Flamingo flower.

The main quality of degus is their sociability. Walking is one way to bond with your baby.

Degas should be released into the apartment under exceptional supervision. He will chew on anything that gets in his way.

In this article, we examined several types of rodents and their breeds. They also learned how to care for each of the species. Noticed some features of the breeds.

RODENTS (Rodentia), detachment of the class of mammals. Fossils are known from the Paleocene. Small and medium-sized animals; body length from 5 (mouse) to 130 (capybara) cm; weight from 6 g to 50 kg. Externally, rodents are very diverse; among them there are various life forms: underground (diggers, gophers, zokors, mole rats), arboreal (squirrels, flying squirrels), aquatic (beavers, nutrias, muskrats), adapted to fast running (jerboas, maras, agoutis). The hairline of rodents is represented by soft uniform fur (mole rats, zokors), fur well divided into guard hairs and underfur (beavers, nutria), quills (porcupine), or completely absent (naked mole rats). The forelimbs are 5-4-toed, the hind limbs are 5-3-toed. Common to the detachment is the structure of the dental system. All rodents have strongly developed incisors (1 pair in each jaw), which do not have roots and grow throughout the life of the animal; their cutting edge self-sharpenes when abraded (due to the different hardness of enamel and dentin). In some rodents (gray voles), constant growth is also characteristic of molars. Canines are absent, resulting in a large gap (diastema) between the incisors and cheek teeth - premolars or molars. The brain is relatively large, the surface of the hemispheres is smooth.

Rodents are the largest (about 355 genera, more than 1600 species) and diverse order of mammals. It contains 30-35 modern families, 3 of which are the most numerous and include up to 2/3 of modern species: squirrels (about 40 genera and 230 species), hamsters (6-8 subfamilies, up to 100 genera, about 500 species) and mice ( up to 17 subfamilies, about 120 genera, more than 400 species). A number of families consist of a single genus of the same name with 1-2 species (beaver, long-legged, capybara, pacarnidae).

Rodents are distributed everywhere, except for Antarctica; inhabit all natural zones - from the tundra to the desert, from lowland swamps to highlands. The sharp incisors of rodents are used not only for chewing solid food, but also for digging. Most rodents are active around the clock; there are species that are active only at night or only during daylight hours. A number of species fall into hibernation of varying duration, accompanied by a decrease in the level of metabolism and body temperature (marmots, ground squirrels, dormice, etc.). Rodent shelters are very diverse: deep, complex burrows (viscaches, diggers, tukotukovy), nests above ground, ground or in soil voids (black rat, house mice, mice), huts with an underwater entrance from branches (beavers) or grass (muskrat) , hanging nests made of grass (baby mouse) or on trees (squirrels). Rodents feed on plant foods (seeds, fruits, succulent green parts of plants, bark and wood), many include small vertebrates and invertebrates in the diet, some are exclusively insectivorous (grasshopper hamsters), fish-eating (fish-eating hamsters) or predatory (a number of species of large rats) . They can lead a solitary or colonial lifestyle, including those with a division of functions, like social insects (naked mole rats).

In all natural areas, rodents predominate in numbers among mammals. As a rule, rodents are characterized by high fertility: several litters per year (usually 2-4), up to 8-15 cubs in each. Many tend to have early puberty (on the 2-3rd month of life). The number of small rodents (mice, voles) can in some years increase by 100 or more times, often giving way to years of their almost complete extinction over large areas.

The ecological role of rodents is everywhere great. For example, in the tundra, changes in the number of lemmings largely determine the dynamics of the entire ecosystem; in deserts, the burrowing activity of rodents supports the existence of many animals, promotes soil mixing, determines the moisture regime and the species composition of vegetation; creating dams and swamping vast areas, beavers form a specific landscape.

Some rodents (including chinchilla, beaver, coypu, muskrat) are valuable objects of the fur trade. Many rodents (forest voles, lemmings, gray voles, etc.) serve as the main food for valuable fur-bearing predators (Arctic fox, sable, marten, etc.). Among rodents, there are species that cause great damage to crop production, agriculture and forestry, as well as food supplies (rats, mice, ground squirrels, hamsters). Many species of rodents are distributors of human infectious diseases (including plague, tularemia, rickettsiosis, leptospirosis, leishmaniasis, tick-borne encephalitis, hemorrhagic fevers, etc.). Gray and black rats and house mice have spread all over the world together with humans, forming populations that are entirely dependent on human activities. Some rodents can cause significant damage to various technical devices and structures.

Among rodents, there are species with a small range, adapted to unique regional ecosystems (viscacha, Patagonian mara, pacarna). Many rodent species have become rare or have a steady decline in numbers. About 700 species of rodents are listed in the IUCN Red Book, 7 species - in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. There are examples of successful population recovery (beavers).

Lit .: Sokolov V. E. Systematics of mammals. M., 1977. Part 2: Detachments: lagomorphs, rodents; Gromov I. M., Erbaeva M. A. Lagomorphs and rodents. SPb., 1995.

rodents make up more than a third of all mammalian species. They differ from each other in size and weight. Some of them have adapted to life in extreme conditions.
The Latin name for this series is Rodentia. It comes from the verb "rodere", which translates as "to gnaw". All rodents have a similar jaw structure. They don't have fangs. There is a large space (diastema) between the incisors and molars. They have only one incisor on each side of the upper and lower jaws. The incisors do not have roots. They are razor sharp. When chewing hard food, the incisors are erased. In front they are covered with an extremely hard layer of enamel, and their back consists of soft dentin. Due to this feature, rodent teeth are self-sharpening and have a characteristic chisel appearance. The incisors grow throughout the life of the animals, which in turn must gnaw on hard objects in order to grind down the hard top layer of the teeth. In total, rodents can have from 12 to just over 20 teeth. The chewing surface of the molars is very diverse - from tuberculate to comb. Lips play the role of "gates" to protect against unwanted particles entering the mouth.
Chewing muscles. For rodents, the muscles that are behind the cheeks on the outside of the jaw are important. These muscles not only close the jaws, but also allow the lower jaw to be pushed forward. The different development and function of these muscles led to the division of rodents into three major groups (other scientists distinguish more groups). The most common of these are mouse-like, which were able to adapt to various foods and incredible living conditions.
Distribution of rodents. The large distribution of rodents is due to the fact that these animals are very prolific. Many of them may have several litters a year, and in each they produce a large number of cubs. There is a kind of self-regulation of their birth rate. Rodents have adapted to a variety of foods. During the year they could have up to 13 litters of 8 cubs each. Usually rodents are herbivores, but under the influence of conditions, many of them have become almost omnivores.
Unlike other mouse pups, newborn needle mouse pups are at least partially covered in hair.
Did you know? That even a brick wall is not an obstacle for rats. The incisors of these rodents are capable of crushing an object with a force of approximately 1680 kg per 1 cm2.
During the catastrophic increase in the number of domestic mice in Central California, which took place in 1926, according to researchers, there were about 20 rodents per 1 m2.
Some representatives of the slipakov family (Spalacidae) dig up to 500 kg of earth within a month.

Rodents are very prolific, so many of their species are very numerous. rodents - This is one of the many orders of mammals. In the process of evolution, many species of rodents arose. They have adapted to life in a wide variety of conditions - some live underground, others in trees or even in water.
Mouse-like. A row of murine forms the most numerous group of rodents, and, in general, a fourth of all modern mammalian species. Mostly mice and rats.
Some of them, such as voles and lemmings, have a short and squat body, perfectly adapted for digging tunnels underground or even in snow. The blind have adapted to life underground. They do not have auricles and tail, and their eyes are covered with skin. The incisors in them protrude even from a closed mouth, since animals use these teeth mainly for digging. The wide nose helps the blind man in the construction of underground galleries. Jerboas can survive even in the desert, so they get the necessary moisture from food.
PIG-LIKE. Representatives of the porcupine suborder, with the exception of the North American porcupine, inhabiting Central and South America. These animals are distinguished by a large head and a rounded nose. They give birth to quite independent, woolly cubs. The sizes of pig-like animals vary greatly - from the size of a guinea pig to the size of the most modern rodent - the capybara.
Many of them live on the ground, but North American porcupines spend most of their lives in trees. The nutria belonging to this order are excellent swimmers. They have swimming membranes that help them move easily in the water. The Patagonian maru is recognizable by its long legs and large ears. This animal looks like a hare. Capybaras form numerous herds that stay near the banks of water bodies. These are the most modern rodents. Adults can weigh up to 75 kg.
Squirrels. In addition to the squirrels well known to us, beavers, chipmunks, long-legged dormouse and ground squirrels also belong to the squirrel suborder. Beavers can cut down trees with their exceptionally strong incisors. They build dams and huts from tree trunks. The eyes of arboreal squirrels allow them to accurately determine the distance they want to travel by jumping from one tree to another. Some other species, such as flying squirrels, can fly a considerable distance with the help of flying membranes located on the sides of the body.
EVOLUTION. Most of the prehistoric rodents found in North America and Eurasia were small, mouse-like animals. Only a few developed species reached the size of a beaver.
About the fossilization of these ancient rodents are united in one common family Paramyidae. They date from the Paleocene period. In the beginning, these primitive rodents for the first time had characteristic incisors, only in front they were covered with hard enamel.
Over time, rodents became more numerous, their new forms arose, adapted to certain living conditions. The first rodents often moved on the ground by running, and after that species appeared whose body and hind limb structure indicates that they moved mainly by jumping. In other species, the skull, paws and claws were more adapted to the underground way of life.
Mice and rats, however, developed later than other families of rodents. The mouse family, which includes mainly ancient species of mice and rats, appears in the European layers of the Pliocene, which dates back to 5 million years. Man is the main culprit for the spread of rats and mice around the globe.
These rodents, easily adapting to different living conditions, traveled on ships, with camel caravans, and later on trains as a "stowaway". They feel great next to a person - they settled in her house, eat her bread, spoil his things, warm themselves at her hearth. Especially many rats and mice live in livestock farms, in pantries, in warehouses where grain and other food products are stored.
Porcupine: feeds on shoots and roots of plants, often preying on insects or picking up carrion. The porcupine is active at night and rests in dry burrows or rock crevices during the day.
House mouse: most often lives in human dwellings and eats almost everything edible that it can get. Most of all she loves grain.
Beaver: the second largest rodent after the capybara. He is an excellent swimmer and diver. The characteristic features of the beaver - swimming membranes and a flat, scaly tail - a wonderful adaptation for life in the water.
Capybara, or capybara: it is the world's largest rodent. The capybara uses its powerful incisors only for eating grass. Thanks to small swimming membranes between the fingers, the animal swims well.

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Types of rodents

American badger

capybaras

In the detachment of rodents, a different range of body sizes. One of the smallest rodents is the swamp hamster ( Delanymys brooksi), common in swamps and mountain forests. It weighs 5 to 7 grams and is 5 to 6 cm long. The largest rodent is the capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) from Central and, which weighs 35 to 66 kg and has a height at the withers of 50 to 60 cm, and a body length of 100 to 135 cm. Some extinct species were even larger, reaching the size or small rhinoceros. The largest rodent Josephoartigasia monesi), lived about two to four million years ago, in the era and; according to some estimates, it was about 3 meters long and weighed almost 1000 kg.

Description

flying squirrel

All rodents constantly grow rootless incisors with a hard enamel layer in front of each tooth and softer dentin. Gnawing on hard food constantly wears down the incisors. The absence of canines in rodents results in a gap or diastema between the incisors and molars. They have 12 to 22 teeth

The structure of the jaw ensures that the incisors do not meet, the upper and lower premolars, and the molars do not contact while the animal is biting. Powerful muscles attached to the jaw and skull provide chewing and gnawing power.

The body shape of tree squirrels may be a model for the earliest and already extinct rodents of the genus paramys. With their ability to hold on to the bark with their claws, squirrels skillfully climb tree trunks, run along branches, and jump onto neighboring trees; but they are equally agile on land, and some are capable swimmers.

Specialized body shapes of other rodent species tie them to certain ones. Some strictly arboreal species have prehensile tails; others plan from tree to tree, using lethal leathery membranes located between the fore and hind limbs (for example,). Highly specialized burrowing rodents, including mole rats, mole rats, and ground squirrels, have cylindrical bodies, strong incisors, small eyes and ears, and large forelimbs with powerful burrowing claws.

Semi-aquatic rodents, such as muskrats, nutrias, and water rats, have special features that allow them to feed in aquatic environments, but at the same time live in earthen burrows. Ground jumping species such as kangaroo jumpers, jerboas and gerbils have short forelimbs, long and powerful hind limbs, and a long tail used for balance.

Regardless of body shape, all rodents have the same adaptations that can be used for different purposes: cut grass, open nuts, kill their prey, dig tunnels, fill up trees, etc.

Main characteristics of rodents

The main characteristics of rodents include:

• one pair of incisors on each jaw (upper and lower);
• incisors grow continuously;
• incisors lack enamel on the back of the tooth (and wear down with use);
• a large gap (diastema) behind the incisors;
• no fangs;
• complex chewing muscles;
• There is a fully developed baculum.

Food

Rodents eat a variety of foods including leaves, fruits, seeds, and small ones. Cellulosic food is digested in the caecum (a sac in the digestive tract that contains bacteria that can break down solid plant material into a digestible form). Food is either eaten where it is collected, or it is brought into storage burrows (for example, gopher rats, Gambian rats, hamsters, etc.). Species living in arid habitats and on can get the necessary liquid from their food.

Behavior and reproduction

Some rodents are able to build a wide variety of houses; they range from holes in trees and rocks, simple burrows in nests, leaf and stick structures in tree canopies, to elaborate underground tunnels, and damming of rivers and streams.

Rodents can be diurnal or nocturnal, or sometimes they are active part of the day and night. Representatives of this order can be active throughout the year, but some species have periods of rest or deep hibernation.

The timing and frequency of reproduction, duration of gestation, and brood size vary greatly from species to species. For example, a gray rat ( Rattus norvegicus) can give birth to up to 22 cubs at a time, and a house mouse ( Mus muscle) can produce up to 14 offspring annually. Population size can remain stable or fluctuate, and some species, especially lemmings, migrate when populations become excessively large.

The meaning of rodents

Wherever rodents are found, people often treat them as pests, but they play an important role in the environments in which they live.

Biologists have long known that rainforest rodents play a key role in stimulating the growth of new trees in a forest through seed dispersal.

Many rodents dig extensive burrows and tunnels, which not only provide habitat for many other animal species, but also provide important benefits to the soil. Tunneling turns the soil over, mixing the top layers of bedding and feces with the deeper layers. This process fertilizes the soil and buries the carbon needed for plant growth. Tunnels allow water to enter the soil instead of draining off.

Plants in forests have a mutually beneficial relationship with those in the soil. Fungi provide plants with nutrients, while plants provide energy for fungi to grow and reproduce. The seeds of some plants, such as orchids, will not even germinate without being attached to the fungus. Rodents such as squirrels and voles can spread their spores. Underground fungi rely almost entirely on rodents to disperse spores and reproduce. When rodents eat mushrooms, they distribute their spores in their feces, helping to create a healthy forest generation.

Types of hamsters

If you decide to get a small fluffy pet, you should know that, unlike a dog, he will not become your servant or property. The hamster will simply live next to you and communicate with people only when he wants to. The word "master" does not exist for him, and, alas, you will have to come to terms with this.

Most hamsters in the wild are fairly large animals. The body length of individual individuals reaches 30 cm. Keeping them at home, as a rule, is very problematic.

In the family of hamsters, there is also a genus of hamsters, numbering 5-7 species, distributed mainly in the forest-steppe and steppe zones of Europe and North Asia. The size of these animals is small: their body length does not exceed 15 cm. Many of them do not require complex care, so they are domesticated and successfully kept in captivity.

common hamster

The common hamster is a very beautiful animal. Its coat is painted in bright colors: the back and sides are red, the abdomen is black, the paws and nose are white, and there are 3 white spots on the chest and sides of the head. Occasionally there are specimens with black and white and almost black color. The body length of the animal is 25-30 cm.

Ordinary hamsters live in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of southern Europe, Western Siberia, in northern Kazakhstan and east of these regions, up to the Yenisei, sometimes penetrate further north. Animals willingly settle on the outskirts of fields and gardens.

Hamsters dig solid burrows, the depth of which sometimes reaches 2.5 m. In them they arrange numerous pantries, connected by tunnels, as well as nesting chambers. At the end of summer, animals begin to stock up for the winter, filling their pantries with grain, potatoes, carrots, corn, and other similar products.

The mass of stored food usually reaches 10-20 kg, although there have been cases when up to 90 kg of grain was found in the storerooms of hamsters. These reserves are necessary for animals to feed in winter, when they periodically wake up, and when they are satisfied, they again hibernate. In addition, this food will come in handy for animals in the spring, when there is not enough food.

In summer, hamsters feed on grasses, roots, plant seeds, catch and eat insects, and sometimes small animals, such as mice. Rodents are active at night. If an enemy (a fox, a dog or a person) unexpectedly blocks the hamster's path into its hole, it can rush at the enemy and bite him painfully.

From April to October, females have 2 or 3 broods, numbering from 10 to 20 cubs. During the period of mass reproduction, hamsters cause significant damage to the fields, so they have to be exterminated. Animal skins are used as cheap furs.

rat-like hamster

The rat-shaped hamster is found in Primorye, Korea and China. It settles, as a rule, in river valleys. The body length of the animal is 18-25 cm. A distinctive feature of this species is a rather long tail. Its length, equal to 7-10 cm, is usually less than the length of the body of the animal by about 2 times. The tail is gray-brown in color, and below and at the tip it is lighter than above. In contrast to the longer rat tail, the tail of rat hamsters is pubescent and does not have transverse rings. This type of rodent differs from water rats and large voles in large ears and white-colored paws.

Compared to other representatives of the genus, the rat-like hamster digs the most difficult holes. In its pantries, the animal accumulates large stocks of seeds or grain from nearby fields. He feeds on this food throughout the winter. In summer, rat-like hamsters eat the seeds of herbaceous plants, as well as greens and animal food. Rodents breed from April to October. During this period, the female manages to feed 2-3 broods, the number of cubs in which sometimes reaches 20, but usually there are from 8 to 10.

gray hamster

The gray hamster lives on the territory of the European part of Russia north to the Moscow region and the mouth of the Kama and Oka, as well as in the Caucasus and the south of Western Siberia to the foothills of Altai in the east. Prefers grass and wormwood steppes, semi-fixed sands, areas of dry mountain steppes, agricultural lands. Sometimes the animal can be found in urban buildings. The hamster was brought to Moscow, and feral individuals took root in some areas of the city (for example, at the Belorussky railway station).

The gray hamster is a small, short-tailed animal. The length of his body is 9.5-13 cm, and the tail is 2-3.5 cm. The ears of the hamster are relatively small, rounded; muzzle pointed; feet are slightly pubescent, finger tubercles are clearly visible on them; the tail is covered with short hairs.

The color of the body of a gray hamster can be smoky gray, dark gray or brownish gray, less often - reddish-sandy. In some individuals, a dark stripe runs along the head and tail, painted to match the main color. On the abdomen, the fur is light gray or white, on the paws is white.

The food of the animal is mainly immature seeds and inflorescences of wild and cultivated plants. In addition, the hamster feeds on terrestrial mollusks, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and insect larvae.

For the winter, the animals store a lot of food, but only those animals that live in the north of the range and in high mountain regions fall into hibernation.

Hamsters breed from April to October. During this period, the female manages to feed 2-3 broods. There are from 3 to 10 cubs in a litter, but most often 7 are born.

Gray hamsters are kept at home. The rules for caring for them are the same as for Syrian hamsters.

The Dahurian hamster is found in the steppe and forest-steppe zones in the territory from the Irtysh to Transbaikalia, as well as in the meadows of Southern Primorye. The length of the body of the animal is from 8 to 13 cm, the tail is 2-3.5 cm. The hamster prefers to make holes on the edges, in beams, bushes, on the outskirts of fields, and in the sandy steppes its favorite habitat is thickets of caragana.

The coat of the Dahurian hamster is brown or reddish. A black stripe runs along the forehead and along the back of the animal. The belly is gray, the ears are with a white border.

The animal feeds on seeds, eats insects. The hamster does not hibernate for the whole winter. Usually he periodically falls asleep for several days, but during periods of wakefulness he hardly leaves the mink.

long-tailed hamster

The long-tailed hamster lives in the mountain steppes of Tuva, Sayan Mountains and Southwestern Transbaikalia. The animal prefers to settle on the rocky slopes of the mountains, on talus and in the rocks. He arranges burrows under stones among the rocks.

The length of the body of a long-tailed hamster is 9-12 cm, the tail is 3-5 cm. The coat of the animal is most often dark gray, sometimes with a redhead, on the abdomen - light gray. The ears, like those of the Daurian hamster, are bordered by a thin white stripe. The tail is dark gray above and light gray below.

The long-tailed hamster feeds on plant seeds. He especially likes seeds of wild almonds, caragana and cereals. Willingly eats animals and insects. In winter, it hibernates only occasionally.

The breeding season for long-tailed hamsters lasts from April to August. The number of cubs in a litter ranges from 4 to 9.

Eversman's hamster

The habitat of the Eversmann hamster is quite extensive. The animal is distributed in the territory from the Middle and Lower Volga to the upper reaches of the Lena River in the east and south to the Aral Sea. He prefers to settle in the wormwood steppes, on solonetzes, virgin lands and the outskirts of plowed lands. The hamster never arranges his minks in over-moistened places.

Eversmann's hamster is slightly larger than the average house mouse. It has a very small tail and short legs. The muzzle of the animal is slightly pointed, the ears are small, with rounded tips, the soles of the paws are slightly pubescent, with clearly visible digital tubercles, the tail is slightly compacted, covered with dense short and soft hairs, expanding at the base.

Eversmann's hamster is characterized by a variety of colors. The color of the fur on the back varies from black and white to ash-sandy and fawn-red. The pure white color of the abdomen contrasts sharply with the dark fur on the sides. On the neck and between the front paws on the chest there is a clearly marked spot of brownish or ocher color. The legs and underside of the tail are white. The short coat of a hamster is surprisingly soft and velvety.

The animal feeds mainly on seeds and shoots of cereal grasses, wormwood, saltwort, tulip bulbs. Occasionally it eats insects and their larvae.

The holes of the Eversmann hamster are relatively simple. They consist of the main passage, which can be inclined or vertical, and the nesting chamber. Some hamsters break through branching snouts.

The breeding season for animals begins in April and ends in September. During this time, the female grows 2-3 litters. There are 4-5 cubs in each litter. Eversmann's hamsters hibernate in October. Often it is intermittent.

Djungarian hamster

The Dzungarian hamster belongs to the genus of upland hamsters. This species has been studied better than others. Under natural conditions, the animal is distributed in the steppes and semi-deserts of Western Siberia, Central and Central Asia, as well as in North-Eastern Kazakhstan.

Djungarian hamsters prefer to settle in xerophytic desert grass, wormwood and cinquefoil steppes without bushes. These animals can also be found in gravelly steppes and semi-fixed sands, occasionally on cultivated lands. In recent years, they have firmly established themselves in the vivariums of scientific institutions and in living corners.

Adult Djungarian hamsters reach a length of 10 cm. The muzzle of the animal is pointed, the ears are small. The soles of the paws are covered with thick hair that hides the digital tubercles. The fur on the back is brownish or ocher-gray. In some animals, it is darker on the sides. The abdomen is light. The border between the coloration of the back and abdomen is distinctly expressed. A narrow black stripe runs along the spine of the Djungarian hamster. His paws are white, his ears are also white on the inside, and black on the outside.

In summer, the color of the animals becomes grayish. In winter, especially when kept in cool rooms, they become almost white, and the spine acquires a silvery-gray color.

Djungarian hamsters are active at dusk and at night. Animals arrange burrows with several entrances, burrows and a nesting chamber. Animals feed mainly on seeds and green parts of herbaceous plants. They also eat insects. Hamsters store seeds for the winter. They do not hibernate. By November-December, the fur of the animals becomes white, thanks to which they can from time to time get out of the minks to the surface.

Representatives of the genus of legged hamsters are very decorative, which include the Dzungarian, Siberian hamsters, as well as the Roborovsky hamster. These animals have thick fur that covers not only the body, but also the soles of the hind legs. In length, these animals reach only 10 cm. They have a very short tail (from 0.8 to 1.5 cm). The ears are black with a white stripe.

The breeding season lasts from March to September. During this time, the female manages to feed 3-4 broods, each of which has 6-8 (sometimes up to 12) cubs. Hamsters reach sexual maturity very early. Having reached the age of 4 months, young animals from the first brood can already breed.

Djungarian hamsters are cute, good-natured animals that live well in captivity.

Siberian hamster

The Siberian hamster is very similar in appearance to the Dzungarian hamster and belongs to the same genus of furry-legged hamsters. But his coat is much lighter than that of the Djungarian hamster. It also turns white in winter. The Siberian hamster lives in the dry plain and hilly steppes of Tuva. The animal digs holes the same as the Djungarian hamster.

Roborovsky hamster

Roborovski's hamster - the third species of the genus of legged hamsters - lives in loosely fixed sandy deserts overgrown with caragana. This is a very small animal with a short tail, which is almost invisible under the fluffy fur. The muzzle of the hamster is snub-nosed, the ears are relatively large, rounded, the soles of the paws are densely pubescent. The coloration of the back is pink-fawn, the abdomen and legs are pure white. There are small white spots above the eyes. Black ears have a white border. There are no stripes on the back.

The food for the Roborovsky hamster is mainly beet seeds, caragana, saltwort, cereals, sedges, tulip bulbs. The animal catches and eats insects only occasionally.

Hamsters are active at dusk and at night. Burrows in the sand arrange shallow ones. They consist of 1-2 passages and a nesting chamber. The breeding season lasts from May to September. During this time, the female brings 3-4 litters, each of which has from 3 to 9 cubs.

A few years ago, the Roborovsky hamster gained popularity as a pet. This is an ideal pet, because it is unpretentious to living conditions and does not require complex care.

At the bottom of the metal cage in which the animal settles, a layer of sand 2-3 cm thick is poured, several stones, moss, hay, thin twigs are placed and a box is placed where the animal could hide from prying eyes and rest. As the sand gets dirty, it is replaced with clean sand.

Taylor's dwarf hamster

Taylor's dwarf hamster lives in Arizona, Texas, in the south of Central Mexico, in southern Mexico and Central America to Nicaragua. Animals usually live in clearings or grassy edges. Under the thick grass, they lay a network of paths. Rodents nest in small depressions under the protection of a bush or stone.

Dwarf hamsters feed mainly on plant foods - seeds and shoots of grasses, but sometimes they also eat insects. Animals are active at night. The radius of the individual plot of the Taylor hamster is small - about 30 m. On one hectare, there are usually from 15 to 20 individuals.

The smallest of the mouse-like rodents that live in the Americas are dwarf hamsters. Their body length is only 5-8 cm, the tail is slightly shorter. The mass of adults does not exceed 7~8 g. The back of dwarf hamsters is grayish-brown, and the abdomen is light.

Rodents breed all year round. Pregnancy of the female lasts 20 days, after which she gives birth to from 1 to 5 cubs (usually 3). In total, one female can feed up to 10 broods per year. Newborn babies are quite large. Each of them weighs about 1 g. It is interesting that the male of dwarf hamsters does not leave the nest after the birth of offspring. He stays with the female and even helps her take care of the cubs, which is absolutely uncharacteristic for rodents.

After 20 days, young animals leave the nest and begin to live independently. They reach puberty as early as 10 weeks of age.

Dwarf hamsters live well and breed in captivity. These good-natured animals very quickly get used to a person, become tame and very rarely bite. They can be kept in large groups.

Hamsters altiplano

Altiplano hamsters got their name from where they live. They live in the dry high plains of the Andes, from the south of Bolivia to the north of Chile, at an altitude of 4000-4600 m above sea level. They inhabit mainly rocky and rocky areas.

In appearance, these rodents resemble gerbils or mice and rats with well-furred tails. The body length of the animals ranges from 8 to 17 cm. The length of the tail is about the same. The thick and soft fur of Altiplano hamsters is colored in brownish-yellowish tones. Abdomen or breast and neck pure white.

Altiplano hamsters are nocturnal animals. During winter, the animals presumably hibernate, since at this time of the year they do not show any signs of activity. The main food for rodents is insects.

Usually altipla hamsters do not make their own burrows. They settle among stones or occupy other people's nests, often expelling the former owner from them. There are cases of penetration of rodents into human buildings, but human dwellings in such high-altitude areas are very rare.

Golden, or Syrian, hamster

The golden, or Syrian, hamster is one of the best inhabitants of a home living corner. He is unpretentious, hardy and prolific. In addition, this is a very funny animal that will give you a lot of pleasure with its habits. Since, unlike other types of hamsters, it is the Syrian hamster that has gained the most popularity as a pet, in the future we will mainly talk about it.

The golden hamster is a small animal. In size, it is 2 times smaller than a rat. This rodent is very similar to an ordinary hamster. But unlike its large and vicious relative, which brings a lot of harm to people, the Syrian hamster is a completely harmless creature. In addition to becoming one of the most desirable inhabitants of living corners, this animal is indispensable as a laboratory animal for a wide variety of scientific research.

The body length of the golden hamster reaches 17-18 cm. It is stocky. The tail of the animal is very short. The fur on the back is usually reddish-brown, buffy-brown or golden yellow. It is thick, soft and velvety.

The abdomen is light. Currently, breeders have bred several varieties of the Syrian hamster.

In nature, Syrian hamsters prefer to settle in foothill steppe landscapes, meadow steppes and crops. They live alone in burrows, the depth of which reaches 2-2.5 m. Like all their relatives, Syrian hamsters stock up for the winter. They hibernate at a temperature of about 4 ° C.

In captivity, the Syrian hamster lives a little - 2-2.5 years, but under good conditions it can live 3 or even 4 years.