Hamster Pals

Hamster Pals — page 1 — Crabtree Publishing Company www crabtreebooks com

Hamster Pals — page 2 — CONTENTS Your hamster from head to tail 4 6 Hamster breeds 8 Choosing your hamster 10 Hamster homes 12 Happy hammies 14 Hamster banquet 16 Day-to-day care 18 Health and safety 20 Hamster behavior 22 Communication 24 Training 26 Fun and games 28 Hamster quiz 30 Quiz answers 31 Learning more 32 Glossary Index

Hamster Pals — page 3 — YOUR HAMSTER FROM HEAD TO TAIL Every hamster has a different personality but one thing all hamsters have in common is that they sleep during the day and are active in the evenings In the wild this behavior helps to protect them from predators Feet Hamsters use their front feet to hold food and dig Their back feet are larger to help them balance when they stand up 4

Hamster Pals — page 4 — Ears Hamsters have very good hearing They can hear ultrasonic sounds and use these to communicate without being heard by predators Eyes Hamsters see better in dim light than in bright daylight They are thought to be color-blind Nose An excellent sense of smell helps hamsters find food and also to recognize other hamsters and their owner Whiskers Whiskers on a hamster’s face and body help it to find its way around in the dark Teeth Hamsters have large front teeth that grow throughout their lives so they need to gnaw to stop them from growing too long HAMSTER FACTS A Syrian hamster can carry up to half its own body weight in food in its cheek pouches making its head up to three times its normal size A hamster may travel up to 6 miles 10 km a night on its exercise wheel 5 Cheek pouches Hamsters use their pouches to carry food to their burrow The skin inside is dry and rough

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