Though Hamsters were first found in Syria, now wild hamsters live throughout Greece, Belgium, northern China, and Romania. As pets, they live in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia too. On a broader spectrum, their population is worldwide.
Their preference for living is the dry and warm places. Yes, they look quite like rats and mice. So, is a hamster a rodent? Do they have the same features? In short, hamsters are rodents and they carry almost all the characteristics of rodents.
Here, we will briefly talk about why a hamster is a rodent. Also, we will discuss some other important aspects of a hamster- check it out!
Hamsters as Rodents
As we said earlier, hamsters are rodents and they fall under the order of Rodentia, the largest mammal order. But why are they rodents?
Canine Teeth
Well, firstly, it’s for not having canine teeth. Unlike a lot of other animals, rodents don’t have any canine teeth.
It’s most probably because their diet includes mostly vegetation, seeds, fruits, etc. The hamster also lacks canine teeth and it makes a fair choice for the Rodentia order.
Incisor Teeth
However, not having canine teeth is not all of it. Other physical features are also important when you are deciding which animal is from which family.
A very strong point that makes the hamster a rodent is its strong incisor teeth. Rodents have such ever-growing teeth.
Hamsters have four incisor teeth added at the front part of their mouth. The two of the incisor teeth are at the top row and the other two are at the bottom.
Body Structure
Besides this, they have furry bodies just like any other rodents. Hamsters are small in size. Compared to other rodents, hamsters have smaller tails.
Their legs too are short just like the rodents. Most rodents including mice and rats have four toes at the front and five hind toes. The same goes for the hamsters- four front toes with five hind toes.
Are Capybaras and Hamsters Both Considered Rodents?
Yes, capybaras are rodents. Despite their size, they belong to the same family as hamsters. Both capybaras and hamsters have sharp front teeth and belong to the order of Rodentia. As such, they share similar characteristics and are both considered rodents.
Hamster Diet
As hamsters are rodents, their diet also includes everything that a rodent eats. Most of their diet consists of vegetation. They feed on seeds, nuts, fruits, cracked corn, etc. too.
You can call them herbivores in this case, but in reality, they are omnivores. Yes, they also eat insects, lizards, frogs, etc. to survive. Especially, the wild hamster depends on these.
If you go through the Rodentia order carefully, you’ll know that a lot of the rodents are omnivores too!
Are Hamsters Dangerous?
Often hamsters are considered dangerous animals because rodents of almost all types carry diseases. They carry a virus named Lymphocytic choriomeningitis which can cause severe illness.
There are also other diseases that hamsters carry like any other rodents. Also, most of the time, they are cuddly and cute like other pets. But at times, they can get aggressive and bite you.
Wrap Up
Apart from the mentioned features, there are a lot of other features that make the hamster rodents. People often get a little worried when they learn that hamsters are rodents.
It’s because rodents don’t have a good reputation. But as pets, they are one of the bests after dogs and cats! All you need is proper nursing.
