Hamsters Mrs. Salvati

Varieties  Golden (Syrian)  Brown on top, white on bottom Black stripe on back Syrian – Different colors Teddy Bear - Long haired Different colors  Dwarf Smaller then golden Different varieties

Characteristics  Nocturnal – sleep during the day  Stump tail  Weigh grams  Continuously growing incisors  Cheek pouches – pockets on inside of mouth to store food  Solitary animals

Housing  10 Gallon tank with cover  Plastic hamster cages with tunnels  Wood shavings for bedding  Nesting materials (toilet paper rolls)

Feeding  Hamster mix found at the pet store  Water should be in a bottle  Treats can include:  Cheerios  Breads  Timothy hay  Fruits and vegetables

Information  Gestation – days  Litter size – 4-12 babies  Wean – 3-4 weeks  Origin – Middle East  Life span – 2-3 years  Sexually mature – 10weeks  Sex by Anogenital distance  hp?showtopic=10517

Health Problems  Wet tail – bacteria causing diarrhea  Trauma  Teeth problems  Signs of a healthy hamster: Clear eyes, Good skin and coat, eating drinking, normal urine and feces

Handling  Do not startle hamster  Pet first  Hold with 2 hands over safe area  Restrain – scruff  Tame with treats

Gerbils

Gerbils Gerbil Varieties  Mongolian Gerbil Comes in different colors

Characteristics  Longer hind legs help gerbil to stand upright  Long tail covered with fur  Weigh 2-4oz  Good Digger  Can be active in both day and night  Usually prefer mate for life

Housing  Housing available for hamsters is usually suited for gerbils  Gerbils should have more cage space then hamsters because they are more active  Wood shavings for bedding  Nesting materials (toilet paper rolls)  Tail can get caught in exercise wheel

Feeding  Gerbil mix found at the pet store  Consume very little water, water should be in a bottle  Treats can include: Sunflower seeds Green foods – lettuce, cabbage

Information  Gestation – days  Litter size – 5 babies  Wean – 3 weeks  Origin – Mongolia  Life span – 1-4 years  Sexually mature – 5w  Sex by Anogenital distance

Health Problems  Tyzzer’s disease – bacteria that may cause death  Seizures  Trauma  Teeth problems

Handling  Grasp base of tail  Tame with treats

Info taken from  club.com/varieties.asp club.com/varieties.asp club.com/varieties.asp  er.htm er.htm er.htm  msters3.html msters3.html msters3.html  olian_gerbils.htm olian_gerbils.htm olian_gerbils.htm