Evening star., 1945-10-16
This and That
By Charles E. TraceUeu.

A hamster is not, as one might sup
pose, an amateur actor, but a European
mammal OF the order Rodentia belong
ing to the mouse tribe, Muridae
Scores of them are used as experiment
tai animals at the Naval Hospital, and
few may be purchased from pet shops.
Some of them come from Palestine.
These short-tailed rodents with large
cheek pouches somewhat resemble small
guinea pigs.
They live in Europe and Central Asia.
where they come in brown, with black
on the underpartS, and white feet: in
Greece and Central Asia they are mostly
gray.
These odd creatures construct .elabo-
rate burrows containing several cham
bers, one of which is used as a granary
All food brought in is stored there
and is eaten over the winter as the
animals are in complete retirement.
though not in Information.
The burrows often 60 down as far as
or feet, and when the hamsters re-
tire for the winter they thoughtfully
close the entrance behind them.
They come up in February and March.
Several litters are had annually, with
IL young to the litter. When the young
are 3 weeks old they are turned out
by their parents to form underground
homes for themselves.
They eat sunflower seed, bread, roots.
fruits, grains, lizards and small birds.
They are fierce, and not easy to han
die, so those who desire them as pets
should learn to be careful in advance.
Both the skins and flesh are il de-
mand in their native haunts, and these
small rodents are also the prey Of cats,
dogs and other small animals larger
than they are.
They are related to the Florida cotton
rats, and to such infrequently seen
creatures as the white-footed mice. rice
rats. grasshopper mice and harvest
mice.
The cheek pouches OF the hamster
reach back almost to the shoulders.
The creature seems to be without anv
neck.
1t has the popularity of having five
toes on the hind feet, and four toes on
the fore feet. The fifth toe is replaced
by what is called thumb wart.
When food is placed in their cages.
the hamsterS gather it in at once and
take it over to the storage corner, where
they hide it under straw.
I'hey are an odd addition to the pet
possibilities. Their very name Is different.
1t is curious thing, going along in life,
to run into words which one has never.
positively never, seen before. "Hamster"
is new one for us, and no doubt for
many another Recently we ran into an
other word which we had never seen
before-titivate. The dictionary says it
means to spruce up, to primp. It
should not be confused with "titillate,"
to tickle.
Few persons stop to realize how great
the family of rodents is. 1t is estimated
that at least one-fourth OF the four
legged animals belong to the order
There is no residence neighborhood.
no matter how smart, it thinks itself.
which is not inhabited by hundreds of
rats, which come out at night.
In our best suburban neighborhoods.
rats often come to bird feeding stations.
to seek the grains and seeds put out
there. 1t may be understood that sun
flower seed, a favorite with most of the
wintering birds, is also good rat and
mouse food.
This means that the householder who
feeds the birds must take special care
to watch for rats, and when he finds
them to take stepS-with red squill-to
get rid of them
This is duty incumbent upon all
householders, OF course Undisturbed
woodpiles are fine havens for rats and
mice. Such places should be made as far
as possible from dwellings.