The IUCN has it labelled as a species of Least Concern because it is thriving in certain areas of Eastern and Western Europe. Hamsters prefer to live in warm, dry areas, such as near the desert or steppes. This is vastly different from the diet that your pet hamster will consume, not just because of the size difference of some of the hamsters but how they have been domesticated and raised. … Domestic Hamsters. Wild hamsters were first found in Syria and also live wildly in Romania, Belgium, Northern China, and Greece. Hamsters eat a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, some meats, eggs and even a few insects. It … What do hamsters eat in the wild? Hamsters hoard food for hibernation or if they’re unable to explore due to weather or … Syrian hamsters are considered to have a tolerance for alcohol because the fresh fruits they collect often ferment before they have the chance to eat them. Females, in addition to using scent glands, will mark their territory with other means, such as feces. Wild hamsters consume seeds, nuts, grains, insects, small animals, fruits and veggies. Keep reading to find out! To better understand the benefits and drawbacks of bananas for hamsters, it helps to know what they eat in the wild. Hamsters also eat squash, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes. Hay: Your pet hamster should be offered timothy hay daily, which will help keep his digestive tract regular and keep his teeth worn down. This balanced diet will prevent him from picking out only the seeds or pieces of food that he wants, leaving the rest behind that he needs to eat. Hamsters are omnivores which means that, much like humans, they exist on a mixed diet of vegetation and meat. These also provide something for your hamster to gnaw on, allowing his teeth to wear down. A wild hamster diet is vastly different than a pet hamster. If your hamster goes without water, he could die. The Staples Of A Hamsters Diet . Health Benefits & Dangers Of Blueberries Upon analyzing the diet of a wild hamster, it may seem obvious that they can definitely eat blueberries and benefit from it. In France, the hamster used to thrive, but its population has gone down to a mere few hundred animals. For thousands of years, hamsters have been running free throughout Syria, Romania, Greece, China, and Belgium. They are also omnivores – meaning, they can eat both plant and animal material. It is important that a domesticated hamster has a very similar diet to that of its wild cousins. Serve up the ideal hamster diet. In general, hamsters in the wild would survive primarily on a diet of seeds and other plant matter. What to do if my hamsters get sick after consuming vegetables? These species include the Brant’s hamster and the Romanian hamster. Males both domesticated and in the wild will mark their territory after wetting down the fur over their scent glands. Hay isn’t necessary for hamsters, as it would be for guinea pigs or rabbits. Your hamster will love to […], link to 7 Climbing Toys for Hamsters Under $20, hamster diet guide to learn more about the correct diet for your pet hamster, Your pet hamster can be offered a diet of pellets, Your pet hamster should be offered timothy hay daily. A hamster wheel is likely to be the main source of exercise but they should also be supplemented with other toys, chews, and tunnels. Hamsters are omnivores meaning, similar to humans, they exist on the mixed diet of plant life and meat. Avoid giving raw potatoes, uncooked kidney beans, onions, garlic and other toxic foods. This will help minimize any discomfort that he has, as well as making it easier for him to eat and decrease his risk of getting an infection at his tooth root. Use care if giving a melon as the high water content in these foods increases the risk of your hamster developing diarrhea. Other vegetables can be offered to your hamster, such as carrots and broccoli. Fresh water: Your pet hamster has access to fresh water every day, unlike wild hamsters who may have to get their moisture from the foods that they eat. In the wild, the diet of a hamsteris suited to the area where it lives. They don’t hunt down wild chicken or go fishing, though. It’s not uncommon for hamsters in the wild to be seen eating insects, and for hamsters in captivity to enjoy foodstuffs such as pieces of boiled egg. Feeding a balanced diet is one of the things we can do to help make sure our hamsters live as long as they can. We must offer them food a significant distance away from where they defecate or urinate. Pellets: Your pet hamster can be offered a diet of pellets, which is much more nutritionally balanced than anything that his hamster cousins might forage for out in the wild. There are plenty of vegetables that you can offer your hamster. Wild hamsters live for a variable amount of time, but they can live longer lives than domesticated pet hamsters. What Do Hamsters Eat In The Wild? They will also catch and eat insects. Hamsters will stuff their cheeks with just about anything, but they need a balanced diet to thrive. The primary, staple foods of a wild hamster's diet are grains, seeds, nuts, cracked corn, fruits, vegetables, insects, frogs, and lizards. And, as hamster cheek pouches don't contain saliva glands, everything is kept fresh and dry during transit. Hay is not something available to wild hamsters, although they may eat grasses and plants to some extent. Wild hamsters often have their life span cut short by predators, such as owls and foxes. Some examples that wild hamsters will eat include frogs and lizards, as well as other small animals, including other hamsters. Compared to other animals their size, they have a pretty large liver to handle this metabolic processing. Here we share care knowledge and tips to keep your rodent (and rabbit) healthy and happy. Meat is one of those foods that hamsters can eat, but that doesn’t always mean they should. in 1939 humans started to domesticated hamsters. While this is the most common pet hamster in the world, its numbers are dwindling in the wild. Speaking of snacks, stick with fresh foods that are safe for your hamster to eat rather than giving sugary treats such as yogurt drops. Larger, golden or Syrian hamsters tend to live longer than dwarf hamsters such as the Campbell’s hamster or the Robo hamster. Another thing that can affect your hamster’s life expectancy is proper veterinary care. They eat things like grass, seeds, small insects, and frogs. This is vastly different from the diet that your pet hamster will consume, not just because of the size difference of some of the hamsters but how they have been domesticated and raised. Hamsters in the wild do a lot of foraging, just like your domesticated pet hamster does, but it tends to be on a whole other level. You should also offer your hamster fresh fruits and vegetables regularly, usually every couple of days, but you need to make sure that you don’t offer too much – a small amount, about the size of a raisin or bean, is enough for your hamster to snack on. Until a boa constrictor reaches around six feet in length,it will typically sustain itself on rats and mice. These animals have adapted to have a very short gestation period, so their populations are often not adversely affected by the predators that hunt them. © Omlet 2004, 2021. Once a Boa constrictor hatches, it is its own responsibility to find food. … Yes, wild hamsters eat insects as part of their regular diet. What Do Hamsters Eat? It’s important that domesticated hamsters have a similar diet to that of their wild cousins. But avoid feeding pork to your pet hamster. For fresh fruits, you can offer foods like apples or cherries, without the seeds or pits. It was 1939 when the first time hamsters when considered pets by the humans in the house and even in the workplaces. Why do wild hamsters live longer? In some areas, however, the European hamster’s population as dwindled to a mere fraction of what it used to be. There’s also a chance that he will pig out and eat a great deal of the food, becoming overweight and at risk for developing diabetes. So, that's our guide on what vegetables can hamsters eat and what they cannot eat. The areas which contain hamsters in their wild are diverse in number. Pet hamsters tend to live for up to a few years in captivity, generally ranging from 1.5 to 3 years. Find out in our guide to what hamsters eat… Within the wild a hamster’s weight loss program is suitable for the region where it lives normally, this is inside a dry place, frequently on the brink of the desert. If your hamster doesn’t wear his teeth evenly, he will likely need to have his teeth dremeled or filed down by a vet. Rather than being stuck out in the desert in the cold, they tend to be hunkered down for the night before their predators get too active. They eat roots, seeds, grains, and fruits, as well as tiny animals like frogs, lizards, and various insects – and for the large hammies like the European hamster – baby ground-nesting birds. Hamsters have a tough time living in the wild, so it is amazing that some live for years in burrows. Hamster pellets are little chunks of compressed hay, barley, oats, and other grains, with possibly a few other ingredients mixed in. They will store food in their cheek pouches, and when they aren’t chewing, they will bring food back to their nest to store away for another day. Charlotte lives in the United Kingdom and has worked in animal shelters looking after small animals. Some only use it as bedding, because it is so pliable and soft. Sometimes, if they’re feeling sneaky hamsters might pounce on a mealworm too. What Do Hamsters Eat? Hamsters are omnivorous, which means they eat both vegetable and animal materials. There are reports of hamsters living with people for up to seven years, but the Guinness World Record is held by a hamster that lived for 4.5 years. To know what fruits you should feed them and what not to, you can read this post. In the wild hamsters Will eat the remains of any vegetation or scraps that they can find and then store then in their burrow, this means that they can save them for later. Wild hamsters are typically omnivores, like people. Hamster experts tout that hamsters should have a diet of about 16 percent protein and 5 percent fats. Wild hamsters eat seeds, grains and grasses, as well as insects. Diet of Hamsters in the Wild Hamsters like to eat nuts, grains, seeds, fruits, corn and even vegetables. They have large pouches in their cheeks where they store food and carry it back to their colony for storing. Your pet hamster’s wild cousins eat seeds, grains, and nuts. In the wild, hamsters eat insects, frogs and even lizards. Yes, there are over 20 species of wild hamsters that live throughout Europe and Asia. What do Russian hamsters eat? You should be careful not to overfeed your hamster. Characteristics of the Russian hamster. Smaller varieties of hamsters tend to live for only two to three years. Many different things can affect your hamster’s life expectancy, including everything from genetics to what he eats every day. But they do catch the occasional cricket, or grasshopper. Feed your hamster a pellet mix rather than a seed mix to ensure that he gets the nutrients that he needs. hamsters are surprisingly much like humans when it comes to food, they survive on a mixed diet of vegetation and meat. Feeding fattening foods such as seeds or certain nuts within moderation helps to keep your hamster healthy. You want to offer your hamster small amounts of hay regularly, and the best kind to offer is timothy hay. Although hamsters do still live in the wild, there are many more living as pets across the world. Many other small pets such as guinea pigs and rabbits use straw as bedding for inside their cage. Hamsters are not considered endangered in the wild, but in some places, they are at risk of becoming extinct in their native ranges. Dried crickets and mealworms are very popular among Syrian and Dwarf Hamsters. Thus, they can eat vegetation, grains and meat protein, depending on what food sources are available. They will travel great distances to collect food, packing it into their cheek pouches to bring back to their burrows. In the wild a hamsters diet will consist of grasses, seeds, grain, and some insects. It does provide some nutritional value to them, mostly minerals and fibers. Do hamsters eat fruits? They also eat small insects and even lizards. Hamsters in particular, are omnivorous creatures, so they are able to eat almost anything, but with certain precautions. Now, this doesn’t happen often. That said, hamsters tend to be vulnerable out in the wild, especially the golden or Syrian hamster. They also communicate through scent marking, and males and females will mark their territory with scent glands. Do hamsters exist in the wild? By being crepuscular, they are able to avoid some major temperature extremes, which is important as they don’t handle drafts and colder temperatures well at all. Wild hamsters eat seeds, grain and grasses as well as some insects. In the wild, hamsters tend to be crepuscular, which means they are active in the time periods around dawn and dusk, which may help them avoid predators and temperature extremes. The IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is a worldwide group that lists animals as threatened, endangered, extinct, or of least concern because there is minimal threat to their populations. If you want to keep your pet hamster healthy, there are a variety of things to do as far as feeding him goes. Do hamsters eat insects? Yes, hamsters love most of the fruits. In fact, it is possible that the word "hamster" comes from the German word "hamstern" which means hoard—a pretty apt description of how this tiny furry creature eats! Hamsters are found in several places around the world, such as Syria and China. Hatchling Boa constrictors are around twenty inches long. It’s essential that domesticated hamsters have the identical diet to that particular of the wild cousins. Pet hamsters can enjoy dried crickets or mealworms as an occasional treat. In the wild, hamsters will eat much more than just fruits and grains. The biggest wild hamsters are large – much bigger than the dwarf hamsters often kept as pets, and they can also catch prey to consume. What do hamsters eat? Wild vs. Yes, some hamsters do eat hay. Wild hamsters eat seeds, grain and grasses plus some insects. At least when compared to wood shavings. However, don’t feed them pellets alone, as hamsters need to eat a varied diet. This hamster, which can get up to fourteen inches or 35 centimeters long, can live for up to eight years. Wild hamsters feed mainly on seeds, grains, nuts, some vegetables and fruit, and the occasional insect or small lizard – all of which is gathered or hunted at night. What do wild hamsters eat? Hamsters are omnivores so they eat both meat and vegetation much the way that people do. They have lost much of their original habitats to human development and encroachment in their space. A Wild Hamster’s Diet. Final Thoughts . Wild hamsters live longer due to their diet in the wild and the amount of exercise they get compared to pet hamsters. It was owned by a person living in the United Kingdom. Mice are the preferred preyof young constrictors. Wild hamsters simply eat whatever types of seeds, grains, grasses, and bugs are available in the area they live in. Do hamsters still live in the wild? The wild side of the hamster life teaches these tiny creatures to eat whatever they can find in the area they live in. Pelleted formulations tend to be better than mixes that contain seeds, pellets and other components, because your hamster might decide to just eat what he wants to out of the mix, leaving the rest behind. Leafy greens such as spinach or kale are very nutrient dense without having lots of calories; avoid iceberg lettuce though because it doesn’t have many nutrients and can lead to diarrhea in your hamster. The European hamster is an interesting case that is facing extinction in areas of its habitat range. Hamsters are omnivores, which means they survive on a mixed diet in the wild. Consult a vet for advice. You can feed your hamsters with foods like Apple slices (without seeds),Watercress, Egg (small piece of boiled and scrambled),A Cherry (pitted), Hamster dry foods, Banana, Lettuce (very small amounts only), Sprouts, Clover, Broccoli, Dandelion, Hamster treats, Peas, Carrot, Hay, Chicory, Sweet corn and pear. Find out in our guide to what hamsters eat… In the wild a hamster’s diet is suited to the area where it lives; this is usually in a dry place, often close to the edge of a desert. These areas, which include the hamsters in their wild areas, are Greece, Romania, and Belgium, and north china. They enjoy eating grains, seeds, nuts and fruit, and most hamsters have big puffy cheeks to collect as much food as possible before scurrying back home to eat at their leisure. She owns a hamster as well as a dog and a cat and hopes to spread her knowledge about rodents to help other pet owners. It’s not uncommon for hamsters in the wild to be seen eating insects, and for hamsters in captivity to enjoy foodstuffs such as pieces of boiled egg. Wild hamsters diet. The first known hamsters were caught in Syria, and they are generally referred to as Syrian hamsters, although you may also find some dubbed a teddy bear hamster. In the wild, hamsters will eat almost anything they come across which includes a variety of seeds, grains, cereals, grasses, vegetables, fruits, and meats. Hamsters are also sensitive to sounds, communicating largely in the ultrasonic frequencies. Interestingly, these little guys got their name from a German word hamstern which means hoarding. They will also eat fresh fruits and veggies. Hamsters are omnivores which means they have a similar diet to humans in that they eat both meat and vegetables. At myfriendlypets, we know that food should adapt according to the stage of your life, so you need to know what to give your Russian hamster at every age. They make elaborate burrows in the ground in which to live and store their hoard of food. The smaller the hamster is, the shorter its life expectancy generally is, so larger wild hamsters tend to live longer than its smaller brethren. They should serve as the bulk of your hamster’s diet, as they’re full of fiber and other essential nutrients. Toys are essential to making sure your hamster gets enough exercise and lives a healthy and happy life. In addition to the foods you feed, you need to make sure to offer your hamster items to chew on. But it’s not necessary, as in they are okay if they never see a straw of hay in their life. Hamster live in Syria, Romania, Greece, China, and Belgium, nuts. Consume seeds, grain and grasses plus some insects as well as insects. 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