Just follow your nose! Nothing remains hidden from a sensitive, always active hamster nose. The sense of smell is a hamster's most developed sense. With its help, he orients himself, finds food and a mate. Standing upright, he sucks in the air with his fine nose, turns towards the source of the smell and tries to sniff out as much information as possible. Hamsters often react to foreign smells - regardless of whether it is an intruder in their territory or the smell of roasting from the kitchen - with a clear uneasiness, which can range from ducking to aggressiveness and even biting.
Recognized by the smell
If two conspecifics meet, they sniff each other extensively, starting on the rear end or on the flanks. In this way they get an accurate impression of the other, which is of course particularly important before mating.
And also about you, his trusted carer , he makes a very precise scent picture. You may have noticed that he reacts very differently to freshly washed hands than to hands that previously prepared his food.
scent marks
Animals that, like hamsters, rely heavily on scents also use scent marks themselves. With the help of faeces, urine and the secretion of the flank gland, the hamster marks its territory and distributes its scent information to others. So you don't have to meet at all and still exchange information. With the onset of the rut, females emit a very special scent that - gone with the wind - triggers a real race among the male hamsters. Everyone wants to be the first to get to the female hamster ready to mate.
listen up
Its sensitive ears are the number two orientation system for a hamster. The hamster can perceive the quietest sounds, even in the ultrasonic range. When awake, its relatively large ears are set up like small bells and pointed forward. When he sleeps, the ear cups are folded tightly against his head. It goes without saying that a being with such fine hearing prefers the softer tones.
Highly sensitive whiskers
Hamsters have sensitive tactile or sensory hairs on and near the upper lip and over the eyes, which react to the lightest touch. They are used for orientation and for perceiving the position of the body in space, for example to find your way around in twilight and in the dark and not to offend. Please never pluck or cut this hair!
Do hamsters have the full perspective?
If you are equipped with such a sensitive nose, sharp ears and sensitive whiskers and are mostly out and about in the twilight and in the dark, you do not need very good eyesight. Hamsters can't see very clearly with their buttony, round eyes. But they have almost an all-round view and perceive movements very well. That's enough to identify dangers and get to safety in good time.
sensitive to light
As nocturnal creatures, hamsters cannot constrict their pupils in bright light.
Bright light blinds her. Therefore, you should keep your hamster in a room with slightly dimmed light if possible.
