Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

HAMSTER

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 907 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

HAMSTER , a See also:

European mammal of the See also:order See also:Rodentia, scientifically known as Cricetus frumentarius (or C. cricetus), and belonging to the See also:mouse tribe, Muridae, in which it typifies the sub-See also:family Cricetinae. The essential characteristic of the Cricetines is to be found in the upper cheek-See also:teeth, which (as shown in the figure of those of Cricetus in the See also:article RoDENTtA) have their cusps arranged in two See also:longitudinal rows separated by a groove. The hamsters, of which there are several kinds, are See also:short-tailed rodents, with large cheek-pouches, of which the largest is the See also:common C. frumentarius. Their See also:geographical See also:distribution comprises a large portion of See also:Europe and See also:Asia See also:north of the See also:Himalaya. All the European hamsters show more or less See also:black on the under-parts, but the small See also:species from Central Asia, which constitute distinct subgenera, are uniformly See also:grey. The common species is specially interesting on See also:account of its habits. It constructs elaborate burrows containing several See also:chambers, one of which is employed as a granary, and filled with See also:corn, frequently of several kinds, for See also:winter use. As a See also:rule, the See also:males, See also:females, and See also:young of the first See also:year occupy See also:separate burrows. During the winter these animals retire to their burrows, sleeping the greater See also:part of the See also:time, but awakening about See also:February or See also:March, when they feed on the garnered See also:grain. They are very prolific, the See also:female producing several litters in the year, each consisting of over a dozen See also:blind young; and these, when not more than three See also:weeks old, are turned out of the parental burrow to See also:form underground homes for themselves. The burrow of the young hamster is only about a See also:foot in See also:depth, while that of the adult descends 4 or 5 ft. beneath the See also:surface. On retiring for the winter the hamster closes the various entrances to its burrow, and becomes torpid during the coldest See also:period.

Although feeding chiefly on roots, fruits and grain, it is also to some extent carnivorous, attacking and eating small quadrupeds, lizards and birds. It is exceedingly fierce and pugnacious, the males especially fighting with each other for See also:

possession of the females. The See also:numbers of these destructive rodents are kept in check by foxes, See also:dogs, See also:cats and See also:pole-cats, which feed upon them. The skin of the hamster is of some value, and its flesh is used as See also:food. Its burrows are sought after in the countries where it abounds, both for capturing the See also:animal and for rifling its See also:store. See also:America, especially North America, is the See also:home of by far the See also:great See also:majority of Cricetinae, several of which are called See also:white-footed or See also:deer-mice. They are divided into numerous genera and the number of species is very large indeed. Both in See also:size and form consider-able variability is displayed, the species of Holochilus being some of the largest, while the common white-footed mouse (Eligmodon leucopus) of North America is one of the smaller forms. Some kinds, such as Oryzomys and Peromyscus have See also:long, See also:rat-like tails, while others, like Acodon, are short-tailed and more See also:vole-like in See also:appearance. In habits some are partially arboreal, others wholly terrestrial, and a few more or less aquatic. Among the latter, the most remarkable are the See also:fish-eating rats (Ichthyomys) of North-western See also:South America, which frequent streams and feed on small fish. The See also:Florida See also:rice-rat (Sigmodon hispidus) is another well-known representative of the See also:group.

In the Old See also:

World the group is represented by the See also:Persian Calomyscus, a near relative of Peromyscus. (R.

End of Article: HAMSTER

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
HAMPTON, WADE (1818-1902) 		[next]
HANAPER

Site © 2006 - Net Industries