Teddy Bear Hamsters are animals that originate from the rodent family. Over the years hamsters have gained popularity as pets as well as research animals. In the following article, learn about the life cycle of these hamsters.
Teddy Bear hamsters are a species of Syrian hamsters, that are popular for their velvety soft fur. These hamsters are commonly known as long-haired hamsters, angora hamsters, or fancy hamsters. Hamsters belong to the rodent subfamily, called Cricetinae. These type of rodents are small in size and are covered under a coat of very thick fluffy fur. These features have attracted the attention of many animal lovers, who willingly keep hamsters as their pets.
Angora hamsters grow up to a height of five inches. Males reach sexual maturity a little earlier than females. Even the texture, length and density of the coat is different in males and females. Their coat is among the distinctive features of angora hamsters, that draws the attention of many people. Their coats come in various shades such as gold and deep reddish-gold. Their coat grows up to approx two inches long. Angora hamsters prefer a solitary life and hence tend to fight with other hamsters around. They also have the tendency to nip in case they are not handled well.
Hamster Lifespan
Being small in size and furry, hamsters often face health issues, which limits their lifespan. On an average, this hamster lives up to three years. Though these hamsters live a short life, it is interesting to know about their life cycle.
Breeding
Male hamsters mature sooner than females. They reach sexual maturity after four weeks of birth. Female hamsters often reach the stage of oestrus every four days. During this time the females release a pungent odor and white mucus from the vulva to attract the male to them. After mating, separate the male and female as they might not live well with each other.
Gestation Period
Angora hamster’s gestation period is the shortest, it lasts between 15 to 17 days. A few days before the delivery of the babies, females bleed from the vulva. The female can give birth to a litter of 5-10 pups. The pups are pink in color and have no fur on their body.
Temperament
After giving birth, the babies are kept away from the mother. This is done so because, hamsters have the tendency to attack their mates and pups. Infanticide is rare among hamsters, however if the pups are handled or disturbed by the owner, the mother will kill the pup or refuse to nurture it.
Hamster Care Suggestions
These hamsters do not have a long lifespan. However, if cared for and nurtured well they can survive and live a healthy life up to five years of age. Grooming is an important aspect of caring for an animal. If you have it as your pet, learning all about them is important, so that nurturing it becomes easy.
Angora hamsters are small but come with dense fur on them. It is long and requires cleaning and brushing to avoid infections and tangles. These hamsters are susceptible to many health issues and therefore, the owner must go out of the way to prevent them from contracting infections. They often clean their fur, but they cannot trim the growing fur. Lengthy fur can become dirty and make the hamster more susceptible to infections. Though this animal prefers living alone, it requires sufficient space to move around to keep its nails in shape. Also, feeding them fresh food, assures a healthy life.
They are easy to own and serve as good house pets. However, these hamsters are aren’t as docile and tend to bite if handled roughly. These pocket pets live a short life but tend to live longer if proper care and attention is provided.