Question: Are there any wild hamsters?

[Arugula Latte]

If not, where the hell did the furry little guys come from? ... They certainly didn't evolve from the slime on the bottom of a pet store cage.

[htuttle]

1. yes, there are wild hamsters

Most people call them by their common name: 'rats'.

(seriously -- there ARE wild hamsters, though. Siberian ones, for example).

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Asian deserts

Syrian Hamsters, first domesticated in 1930, are native to the deserts of Syria.The hamster saga truly began when Dr. I Aharoni captured a mother hamster and her litter in Aleppo, Syria - the first Golden Hamsters found alive in nearly a century. Three survived and form the basis of all hamster stock in captivity today. A member of the rodent family, the "Golden" Hamster (Mesocricetus Auratus) is about 7 inches long when fully grown. Dwarf hamsters are native to the wilds of Mongolia. Belonging to the rodent family, the Campbell's Russian Dwarf Hamster (Phodopus sungoris campbelli) is about 8 centimeters long when fully grown. Other hamster species sometimes offered as pets include Chinese dwarf hamsters and Robrovski's dwarf hamster.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1327/guide1.html

[benburch]

3. So is the Golden Hamster extinct in the wild?

Was the 1930 capture the last wild sighting?

[Xithras]

8. No, not at all

They are an endangered species, but there are still wild syrian hamster populations in remote areas. Nobody knows quite how many because they live in an area inhospitable to long term study, but enough have been seen to confirm that they exist.

BTW, it should me mentioned that wild Syrian Hamster populations have apparently been declining for centuries, and that the species may have been heading for extinction anyway due to long term climate change (they evolved when the ME was wetter) and increasing predation. Livestock grazing have led to their eradication in Turkey and Iraq, but their population decline in Syria appears to be 100% natural.

All pet golden hamsters are decended from 3 individuals captured in Syria in the 1930's, and have been inbred and mutated so much over the decades that they have diverged from their wild cousins quite a bit (the way dogs did with wolves), so there's no way to crossbreed them in order to restore the population. There are a lot of other hamster species that survive across Eurasia, but this one appears to be on its way out.

[Ratty]

4. Earth's most boring pet

Next to fish of course. I suppose their inexplicable appeal could be explained by their flushability. Their little hind legs twirl around for a moment then right down that porcelain hole they go. I've owned many many pet rats in my life ... now those are some good quality pets.

[Xithras]

5. Its an endangered species

There are 20+ species of wild hamsters that can be found from China to Northern Europe. The Golden Hamsters that most people keep as pets are actually Syrian Desert Hamsters and were originally found in a small range from Turkey, across Syria, and into Iraq. Today they are only found in a small area of Syria, and are a red list endangered species in the wild.

[underpants]

6. Wild wild hamsters....couldn't tear me away.....Wild wild hamsters...

will (something) someday....

[Arugula Latte]

7. Run fer yer lives! It's a stampede o' Wild Hamsters!

They got them little biddy plastic balls and they're a rollin' our way!

[XNASA]

9. We'll ride them, somedaaaaaaayyyyy......

Silly. You can't ride a hamster. Not even if you wanted to.

LOL!!

Man, you just beat me to that one. It was the first thought in my head too....Wild Hamsters, couldn't drag me awaaaayyyy!!!! <snort>

[underpants]

11. Lookee here pard'ner

[sniffa]

10. http://www.the-hamster.com/

http://www.the-hamster.com/

but eric's not too wiLd.

[On the Road]

12. There are GIANT Wild Hamsters Roaming the Forests of New England

at least according to Infinite Jest

[the Princess]

13. This made me laugh so hard

Roving bands of wild hamsters. LMAO!

[auburngrad82]

14. This ones pretty wild...

http://www.hamsterster.com/?pet=1