A LITTLE HAMSTER HISTORY
If your pet hamster isn't a dwarf hamster then it's a Syrian hamster!
That's right, Teddy Bear, Fancy, Long-Haired, Golden, whatever your pet store called it they are all descended from the wild Syrian Hamster! So let's spend a little time learning about that little big guy or gal!
The first recording of the Golden Hamster (or Syrian) appeared in the second edition of the Natural History of Aleppo. Although Alexander Russell published the first edition in 1797, it is unknown whether he or his brother, Patrick, published the second edition and discovered the Syrian hamster. But what ever the case, the Syrian hamster was not recorded as a new species at that time, and furthermore, there doesn't appear to be an actual first recording of the Syrian hamster anywhere as a new species. George Robert Waterhouse, curator of the London Zoological Society, eventually named the Syrian (or Golden) hamster in the year 1839. Originally the Syrian was called Cricetus Auratus, but later was changed to Mesocricetus Auratus. The majority of Syrian hamsters in captivity were captured by Israel Aharoni, a zoologist, at the request of Saul Alder, a researcher on Leishmaniasis who required hamsters that would breed more readily than the Chinese hamsters he'd been working with. On April 12, 1930 Aharoni found a female Syrian hamster and 11 young. Several problems occurred with the family, including cannibalism of one of the litter by it's mother which led to the mother being destroyed by it's captors. The remaining pups were hand reared with some losses and two of the hamsters escaping. Four of the litter remained however and survived until adulthood and later successfully were bred in the laboratory. The resulting hamster line was used extensively in laboratories until they were introduced into the British pet market in the 1940s. The first British hamster club was formed in 1945. The species Mesocricetus Auratus is frequently referred to as either the Golden or the Syrian hamster. Syrian is perhaps a term that is clearer since "Golden" is also used as a description of one of the Syrian's various coat colors (often referred to as the "natural" or "wild" coat color). Due to the length of time that the Syrian has been a popular pet, it has emerged with several different colors and coat varieties. In the wild Syrian hamsters live deep underground in burrows, often several feet in depth. Like most hamsters, the Syrian is nocturnal, and spends most of its day sleeping. This has a lot to do with the climate in their native Syria which is very hot during the day, and considerably cooler at night. Syrian hamsters are solitary animals and should not be kept together when housing, the result would likely be aggression and conflicts that could result in serious injuries and possibly even the death of one of the hamsters.
HAMSTERIFIC SPOTLIGHT!
Long vs Short haired:On the left is a short haired Golden, on the right a Yellow Banded Satin, both are Syrian hamsters.
Long haired Syrian hamsters are commonly called "Teddy Bear" hamsters, while short haired are often called "Fancy" hamsters!