Do Hamsters Burrow? Everything you Should Know
To a new hamster owner, most things the pets do are enough to awe them and also cause fear. Among these things is burrowing, which involves digging tunnels in the ground and then hiding there. But to understand why they do this, you must know how they act away from captivity.
Hamsters are nocturnal animals, natives of Syria, China, Romania, and Greece. They live in steppes and edges of the desert where temperatures are always high. To keep cool, wild hamsters dig a series of tunnels underground.
So, hamsters burrow and do it for various reasons. Also, some species burrow more, while others do it less often. Read on to learn the reasons, benefits, and what might be the reason a hamster might not be burrowing.
Why Do Hamsters Burrow?
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Hamsters burrow for various reasons, including-
1. Security from Predators
Hamsters, among most rodents, are prey animals in the wild and often hide in the tunnels they burrow. Hawks and snakes are among the predators who take advantage of the hamster’s poor eyesight. They connect a series of tunnels to move freely underground without fearing predators.
2. Food Storage
Hamsters also burrow to hide food for future use. You can notice this behavior even in captivity, where the pet will hide some of its food or treats. Wild hamsters hide food to eat during hibernation. They hibernate when conditions are too cold and wake up regularly to eat.
3. Resting
It’s an instinct in most hamsters to burrow and hide, especially when provided with new beddings. When conditions are not ideal, like too hot, wild hamsters burrow as deep as possible. They can dig up to 7 meters in the ground for cold in summer when the temperature remains around 24 degrees Celsius under the earth.
4. Build Nest
During the breeding season, hamsters often dig to prepare a nest. The preparations happen during the first week of the pregnancy and are done by female hamsters.
Note: Understanding your hamster is the best way to know its reasons for burrowing. Ensure you are up to date with its milestone to avoid worrying about trivial or normal things.
Do All Hamsters Burrow?
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Most hamsters are known to burrow, especially in their natural habitats. However, some captives are less active than others, while others are hyperactive. Following are three popular hamster species and their burrowing behavior.
1. Syrian Hamsters
Syrian hamsters are known as aggressive pets and cannot be in pairs for long. They like burrowing, after which they mark them with secretions from flank glands.
2. Dwarf Hamsters
Dwarf hamsters, also called Roborilovski hamsters, live in steep tunnels and burrows in deserts. They’re known to be aggressive when burrowing as well as fast runners.
3. Chinese Hamsters
Chinese hamsters are commonly used in experiments in laboratories. They’re natives of desserts in Mongolia, where they burrow to keep warm and cold. They’re not hyperactive diggers, but with an ideal substrate, they can create some tunnels.
How to Provide a Burrowing Opportunity for Pet Hamsters?
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As you know by now, wild and captive hamsters like to burrow. Therefore, as a hamster owner, there are ways you can help your pet burrow. You can follow the following strategies.
1. Hide Treats
Place treats in places where your hamster must dig to access them. This will encourage it to burrow more in search of more food.
2. Provide Burrowing Substrate
Hamsters require soft bedding materials that they can burrow through. Provide a mixture of two or more soft substrates for bedding.
3. Make Sure the Bedding Is Thick Enough
The bedding should also be thick enough for them to burrow through. Provide your pet hamster with at least three inches of bedding materials.
What Can Hamsters Burrow In?
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As previously mentioned, quality substrates can encourage your hamster to burrow. The material must be better absorbent of fluids and doesn’t require to be changed regularly. Some of the materials they’re comfortable burrowing are as follows.
1. Wood Shavings
Wood has been used as bedding for most animals for a long time. They’re curly and soft, especially when made from hardwood-like pines.
2. Aspen
Aspen is a popular option because it’s less dusty, mostly if dust is extracted during manufacturing. It’s also free of potentially harmful oils because it comes from hardwood.
3. Sawdust
Sawdust is among the oldest and most commonly used types of substrate. However, recent research shows that fine wood shavings make it too dusty for animals to handle.
4. Sand
Most hamsters like sand because it is among the natural substrates they use in the wild. Not only do they like burrowing in it, but they also enjoy sand bathing. However, the sand should be sterile and safe for the pet.
Importance of Burrowing for the Physical and Mental Well-Being of Hamsters
![Importance of Burrowing for the Physical and Mental Well-Being of Hamsters](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Importance-of-Burrowing-for-the-Physical-and-Mental-Well-Being-of-Hamsters.jpg)
When watching your hamster burrowing tirelessly, you might wonder what all that effort is worth. Burrowing has various positive effects on a hamster. They include-
1. Provides Exercise Opportunity
When hamsters burrow, they exercise, which helps them stay healthy. Exercise and diet are two factors that determine a hamster’s weight. The more effort they use to dig helps burn calories preventing obesity and other diseases.
2. Burrows Make the Hamster Feel Comfortable
In a burrow, the pet feels more comfortable and secure than when exposed. The burrow also acts as a food stash and like in the wild, they feel more comfortable with an emergency stash.
3. Burrowing Is a Way of Having Fun
Hamsters are often thrilled by the burrowing and they enjoy doing it a lot. When burrowing the hamster is also having fun and cannot which reduces chances of boredom.
Options For Providing a Burrowing Opportunity
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You can encourage burrowing by providing an opportunity for your pet hamster. Some ways you can create burrowing opportunities include; offering burrow toys and creating a burrow in the cage. Below are more ways to encourage your pet to burrow.
1. Providing Bedding
By providing quality bedding for your pet, you encourage it to burrow more.
2. Weighing Between Cages and Tanks
Sometimes the cage is not high enough to support the ideal depth of materials for burrowing. In this case, you can opt to place your hamster in a tank which can hold much more burrowing materials and encourage burrowing.
However, if you don’t mind picking up the tossed-out materials, you can still use the cage.
3. Providing Custom Burrowing Boxes
Though shop-bought boxes look stylish and worthy, you can create one yourself. Use empty boxes and cut a hole in the bottom of one, enough for a toilet paper tube. Attach the tube for both boxes, and the burrowing box should be ready.
If you want your hamster to burrow more, whether for mental stimulation or any other reason, ensure you provide it with the best environment as above.
Why is My Hamster Not Burrowing?
![Why is My Hamster Not Burrowing](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Why-is-My-Hamster-Not-Burrowing.jpg)
Sometimes you might observe your pet not burrowing like some of its counterparts. Before you panic, know that some pets are not active burrowers like others. However, some other reasons include the following;
- The hamsters might be unwell and require to be checked by a vet
- The beddings are too dusty and uncomfortable for the pet to burrow through
- The substrate is too hard for the hamsters to dig through successfully.
- Not well trained to burrow and requires more training. Begin teaching them when still young for a better chance of success
FAQs
In this section are questions most hamster owners ask regarding their burrowing behavior. The answers provided are well researched to clear your doubts.
Why is My Hamster Burrowing So Much?
A bored or stressed hamster may burrow much more than usual. Make sure you provide enough toys for your hamster and get rid of things that might stress it.
Is It Safe for Hamsters to Burrow?
Burrowing is a safe behavior for hamsters and is encouraged since it helps them exercise. However, make sure the burrowing materials you provide are safe for them.
Conclusion
Hamsters are burrowers in their natural habitats, which include mountainous steppes, dunes, and desert edges. They burrow for various reasons, including security and food storage. The substrate used can determine the interest of your hamster in burrowing.
Burrowing keeps the pet hamster in good shape as it exercises. The pet is also at peace because it can hide and seek shelter like they do in the wild. Remember, some species are more active than others which is why some hamsters show little to no interest in burrowing.