MOD 4 - COURSE 4 - PT 1 - HAMSTER Flashcards
(37 cards)
why would you use hamsters? - rodentia - cristiane
- mammalian relationship to man
- small to median size
- low cost to house and maintain
- adjust well to captivity
- short life cycle
- short repooductive cycle
what species are there?
- golden/syrian
- chinease hamster
- djungarian hamster
- armednian hamster
what are hamsters used to model?
- infectious disease
- circulatory function
- cytogenic genetic
- tumour/tissue transplant
- dental cavity
- short gestations - model for reproduction and teratology
how many stomachs do hamsters have
- 2 compartments - non glandular farestomach - seperate from glandular stomach - large caecum - main site of microvial digestionn
what is the hamsters body temp
37-38’C
heart rate of hamster
250-600bpm
whats the respiration respiration rate of hamsters
35-120 breaths per min
whats the weight of adult hamsters
- 80-120g
newboard - 8-12g - females = bigger than males
whats the lifespan of hamsters
- 1.5-2 years
how much water and food comsumpertion per day for hamsters
10ml/100g body weight
10g/100g body weight
does coprophagy happens with hamsters
- yes - night feaces - contains nutritional material directly from anus
whats the dental formula of hamsters
2(1/1) I 3/3 M
can hamsters get malocclusions
- wihtout something to chew on can happen - need to give - wrood blocks or hard diets
whats a buccal cheek pouch adnwhat are they used for?
- pouches on lateral side of head and neck
- used for hoarding and carrying food
- hiding place for young
- tumour implant studies
- beleived to be immunologically protected
- vascular studies = performed in vivo - on blood vessels within pounhes
what are flank organs
- sebacous glads - located on hip region
- males = dark colout with black hairs
- female s- hairs = soft
- can be mistaken for tumours
what are hamsters behavioural characteristics
- nocturnal - lab hamsters
- wild hamsters = crepuscular
- have burrowing instinct - need nest materals
- they have seperate burrows for sleeping, food
- thay have poor sight - rely on sense of smell hearing
- thye are thigomatic - seek contact with onject
- comincated through whiskers
- herbivors can be omnivors
- hoard food
- can be cannibals
- agressive when startled
- females = dominant over males
- hibernation occurs when temp = 5’C
are hamster agressive
- not norammy - can be if awakened roughly
- normally solitary animals - difficult to introduce hamsters to each other - adult
- normally need to ebe weaned and raised together to live peacfully
how do you handle/ restrain hamsters
- allow hamsters to be awake before handling
- avoid jerky movements - firm but gently
- use appropriate level of restraint for task - pick up single handed - hand over back and lifting
or scooping or cupping with both ahnds - only be scuffed - for procedures - oral gavaging - may vocalise
how do you do the cruff restraint
- one handed
- place on surface
- grasp sufficient skin - cannot turna nd bite
- do not use excessive force - restrict airways
how do yuo determine gender of hamsters
males - testes - more pointed appearance
- ango-genital distance = greater in males than females
what are the different methods of mating hamsters
- hand mating - female introduced to male at end of light cycle - occur wihtin 5 mins if famel = oestrous - remove female
- mongamous pairing - reduce agression - male and female - together since weaning
- harem amting - 1 male to 2+ females etc
when do hamsters ahieve sexual maturity
42-70 days
how long is oestrous cycle of hamster
- 4-5 days - no female post parteum oestrus - no spontaneous ovulators
when will cannibilism occur in hamsters
- if females = disturned 2 dys before or 7 days after partuition
