Generally, the word ‘rodent’ has a negative connotation. The average person thinks of rodents as disease-carrying vermin that have no place living among humans. Rats, mice as well as gerbils and guinea pigs are all well-known members of the rodent family.
The usage of the term may be of growing concern among hamster owners who may hear their furry companion being described as rodents and may leave them asking the question, ‘Are Hamsters Rodents’? In this article, we’ll discuss what constitutes being a rodent, and how hamsters fit into the picture.
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Expounding Further On Rodents
From the biological classification Rodentia, rodents are the single largest group of mammals in the animal kingdom and there over 2000 species alive today. A common feature of all rodents is that they have a single pair of incisors in each jaw, which grows continually throughout life.
They have no canine teeth. Instead, there is a gap in the mouth called a diastema, where there are no teeth. After the gap, there are two pairs of back teeth on the upper and lower jaw.
If you observe your pet carefully, you will note the long, sharp incisors as described above. These will keep growing if your hamster isn’t able to keep them filed by gnawing. Therefore, this characteristic hamsters can, in fact, be classified as rodents.
The hamster is a type of rodent that is known for its short tail and large cheek pouches used for carrying food. They generally live up to 2 years and are commonly kept as pets. The most common hamster species used as a household pet is the Syrian hamster. In the wild, they remain underground during the day to remain hidden from predators. Like other rodents, hamsters are often used for laboratory testing.
There are some other characteristics which qualify hamsters into the rodent family and will be discussed further.
How They Look
Most rodents are relatively small animals with compact bodies and short legs. The size of their tails will vary, with some having tails as long as their bodies, while some have no tail at all.
The size and thickness of the tail is one characteristic that can be used to differentiate between rodents. Hamsters actually have a short, stumpy looking tails.
Regarding feet, many rodents have five toes, each with claws. Of course, some will be different and may have two or three toes. Hamsters have four front toes and five back toes which help them keep their balance.
Their Teeth and Jaws
In addition to their incisors, the teeth and jaws of hamsters and other rodents have other similar characteristics. Their unique structure allows them to consume both plants based and animal-based diets, making them omnivores.
They can therefore safely have foods like seeds, leaves, tree bark, scorpions and insects. Their well-sharpened incisors are used to dig, tear, rip and bore into food while their back teeth finish up the chewing process. Incisors also serve the purpose of helping rodents to construct their underground tunnels and burrows.
Where They Live
In the wild, rodents are able to thrive in many different climates. They are found native on all continents except Antarctica. Hamsters, like many other rodents, are nocturnal and become most active during evening hours. You can actually notice this with your pet hamster at home, which may be a little nippy during the daytime hours if you try to handle him.
Hamsters have burrows n which they sleep, while domesticated hamsters may have bedding. Given that the ecological role of rodents is that of being prey, they have developed these characteristics to stay hidden from predators.
How they Reproduce
As mentioned above, hamsters and other rodents are prey. Therefore, to keep the ecosystem balanced, they are able to reproduce very quickly. For example, adult female hamsters are able to breed every 10 – 15 weeks.
Once she conceives, her gestation period is around 16 – 22 days. She can give birth to a litter of about 6 to 8 pups. This is similar for all rodents, and one reason why rodents are a popular option for laboratory testing.
Differentiating Between Hamsters and Other Rodents
So now that we’ve gone through the similarities between all rodents, we can now discuss how your hamster can differ from others in the Rodentia order. For starters, they are solitary animals. This means they prefer to live alone rather than with other animals, not even others of their own kind.
Hamsters can grow up to five inches long. In telling them apart from other rodents, you can look at their eyes. The eyes are fairly large for their size, and their erect ears. Hamsters’ hair comes in various colors like honey, white, cream, brown, black or grey.
This can be compared to rats, which can grow to be ten inches long with a tail almost as long. Rats have a glossy coat which can be various shades of brown, grey, black or beige.
Myths Debunked
Now that you know your hamster is a rodent, you may want to know, ‘is it bad to be a rodent?’ While it is true that some rodents such as rats do carry some diseases, the order Rodentia is varied. It consists of animals like squirrels, guinea pigs, gophers, and gerbils. Remember, the term rodent really only refers to animals with continuously growing incisors, and hamsters and rats happen to fall in that category.
Domestic rodents are selectively bred and much less likely to carry or transmit diseases. This is especially true for hamsters, which are commonly kept as pets. To decrease the risk of your hamster carrying diseases, be sure that your hamster is bred from a reliable source. Even better, ensure that you have access to a veterinarian. He/she will be able to assess your hamster for possible illness and provide appropriate medication.
Conclusion
Hamsters are indeed rodents, and there’s nothing terrible about it, despite rodents’ poor reputation. They are a member of a distinct group of animals which share common physical characteristics.
In fact, many other rodents are domesticated and kept as house pets. Hopefully, this article gives you a good understanding of why hamsters can be classified as rodents and also clarifies any misconceptions you may have had about them.
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Photo by Evanherk at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1745345