Shannon Maguire's

TEDDY BEAR HAMSTERS!

(MESOCRICETUS AURATUS)

 Teddy Bear hamsters are a warm blooded mammal from the rodent family. They belong to the Golden hamster group, but you usually find them in pet stores listed under various names such as:

• Long-haired hamsters
• Fancy hamsters
• Angora hamsters

 (There is another variety of the Teddy Bear known as the Black Bear hamster.)

     Teddy bears grow between three and five inches in length, although their coat makes them look slightly larger.They are the second largest member of the hamster family. They prefer to live alone and may fight with cage mates. They are also prone to biteing unless they have been handled gently from the time they are young. Teddy Bear hamsters usually live for a short amount of time between two and three years.

     DIET: Teddy bear hamsters eat fruits, vegtables, cheerios, bread and nuts.They also eat food mixes from pet stores that usually have nuts,seeds, and grains. Since teddy bear hamsters are house pets, it is important to keep a small bowl of that mix or those foods in their cage and to keep it fresh for every day. they also need a bowl or bott

le of water that needs to be refilled as often as possible.

     COLOR: Their color varies with shades of golden brown to a light buff to a deep redish-g

old.

     HOUSING:    teddy bears need to be able to live in household temeratures. They cannot be in direct sunlight either. they need lots of room to play, sleep, and go to the bathroom.