Why do Syrian hamsters fight?

fighting hamsters


Syrian hamsters are not as gregarious as some other rodents may be. They are by nature solitary animals. The term solitary refers to living alone rather than in pairs or groups. Syrian hamsters prefer to live alone. No attempt should be made to house them together in the same or opposite sex. The ensuing fight may be so ferocious that it can prove difficult to separate them before serious injury is inflicted on one or the other.
Putting a male and female together when the female is not in heat will result in the female attacking the male.
The only time the Syrian hamster will tolerate each other is when the female is in season / heat and only then for the duration of the mating period. Once the mating is over the female becomes very aggressive with the male. The adult female will not tolerate another female at any time.

hamster pups 
Young 4 week old hamster pups in a play-full mood

The young Syrian hamster pups will live together until their solitary instincts start to develop this is around 6 to 8 weeks of age. At this time they should be separated and housed alone. Up to this age litter mates may get into the occasional fight but these fights are not serious enough to cause any injury. As they develop further into adulthood these fights will become more severe, prolonged and aggressive, injuries will then be sustained.

The Syrian hamster is territorial as well as being solitary. The term territorial should not be confused with solitary. Territoriality refers to an area that an animal of a particular species will consistently defend against con specifics, (same species) and animals of other species. Animals that defend territories in this way are referred to as territorial. Territoriality in animals is only expected to emerge where there is a limited resource that provides enough food for the individual or group. The Syrian hamster tends to avoid each other rather than seek confrontation to expel each other. The Dwarf hamster it is said are a more sociable species that may be kept in pairs or small groups. They may live quite happily for months at a time. Fights are not uncommon between these hamsters to express ones dominance in such a confined space.

 

 

 

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