Hamster

Preference for bedding material in Syrian hamsters

In a first experiment, 26 male hamsters had access to two connected cages, each cage containing a different bedding material (either pine shavings, aspen shavings, corn cob or wood pellets). In a second experiment, 14 male hamsters had access to...

Year Published: 2006Animal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Lanteigne, M., Reebs, S. G. 2006. Preference for bedding material in Syrian hamsters. Laboratory Animals 40(4), 410-418.

Housing condition alters immunological and reproductive responses to day length in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

During winter, increased thermoregulatory demands coincide with limited food availability necessitating physiological tradeoffs among expensive physiological processes resulting in seasonal breeding among small mammals. In the laboratory, short winter-like day lengths induce regression of the reproductive tract, but also enhance...

Year Published: 2007Animal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Weil ZM, Workman JL, Nelson RJ. 2007. Housing condition alters immunological and reproductive responses to day length in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Hormones and Behav. 52;261-266.

Behaviour of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) kept in four different cage sizes

Cages for laboratory and pet hamsters are usually small. Using video recordings, the behaviour of sixty female golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), housed individually in four different cage sizes, was compared in order to draw conclusions about their welfare. The cage...

Year Published: 2007Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Fischer, K., Gebhardt-Henrich, S. G., Steiger, A. 2007. Behaviour of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) kept in four different cage sizes. Animal Welfare 16(1), 85-93.

Environmental enrichment: Shelter and nesting material for rodents and rabbits; bedding for rodents

The needs for a shelter and nesting material of mice and rats are quite different. Building their own nests is almost a must for mice, and the nest will then also be used as a retreat. For rats, access to...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment:Shelter and nesting material for rodents and rabbits; bedding for rodents. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 74-79. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

The duration of capture and restraint during anesthesia and euthanasia influences glucocorticoid levels in male golden hamsters

Since the stress response of the HPA is sensitive to many unwanted and uncontrollable factors, these results must be interpreted with caution. The positive effect of deep bedding could be diminished by methodological problems during handling at the time that...

Year Published: 2007Animal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Gebhardt-Henrich, S. G., Fischer, K., Hauzenberger, A. R. et al. 2007. The duration of capture and restraint during anesthesia and euthanasia influences glucocorticoid levels in male golden hamsters. Lab Animal 36(4), 41-47.

Golden hamsters are nocturnal in captivity but diurnal in nature

Daily activity rhythms are nearly universal among animals and their specific pattern is an adaptation of each species to its ecological niche. Owing to the extremely consistent nocturnal patterns of activity shown by golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) in the laboratory,...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Gattermann, R., Johnston, J., Mcphee, M. E. et al. 2008. Golden hamsters are nocturnal in captivity but diurnal in nature. Biology Letters 4(3), 253-255.

Novel food items as environmental enrichment for rodents and rabbits

This column discusses the use of novel dietary supplements as environmental enrichment for rodents and rabbits. Items are commercially available from lab animal supply companies. The purpose of enrichment is to encourage behaviors that are appropriate for a particular species...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Other Rodent, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Brown, C. 2009. Novel food items as environmental enrichment for rodents and rabbits. Lab Animal 38(4), 119-120.

Effects of bedding material and running wheel surface on paw wounds in male and female Syrian hamsters

The present study investigated the effects of bedding material (pine shavings versus beta chip) and running wheel surfaces (standard metal bars versus metal bars covered with a plastic mesh) on the occurrence of wounds on the paws of male and...

Year Published: 2009Animal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Beaulieu, A., Reebs, S. G. 2009. Effects of bedding material and running wheel surface on paw wounds in male and female Syrian hamsters . Laboratory Animals 43, 85-90.

Blood collection from the sublingual vein in mice and hamsters: a suitable alternative to retrobulbar technique that provides large volumes and minimizes tissue damage

Blood examination is a key element in studies of laboratory animals. In rodents, retrobulbar venous plexus puncture is a commonly used method for obtaining a blood sample. Although this technique yields large volumes of blood, the disadvantage is that it...

Year Published: 2009Animal Type: Hamster, Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Heimann, M., Kasermann, H. P., Pfister, R. et al. 2009. Blood collection from the sublingual vein in mice and hamsters: a suitable alternative to retrobulbar technique that provides large volumes and minimizes tissue damage . Laboratory Animals 43, 255-260.

Preference for bedding material in Syrian hamsters

This study aimed to determine whether Syrian (golden) hamsters, Mesocricetus auratus, prefer certain bedding materials and whether bedding material can affect paw condition, body weight gain and wheel-running activity. In a first experiment, 26 male hamsters had access to two...

Year Published: 2009Animal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Lanteigne, M., Reebs, S. G. 2009. Preference for bedding material in Syrian hamsters. Laboratory Animals 43, 85-90.