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Although related to rodents, hamsters, gerbils & chinchillas have been domesticated and reared for a long time compared to their more undesirable cousins the rat. Hamsters come from the subfamily Creticinae, gerbils from the order of Rodentia and chinchillas from the family of Chinchillidae.
Hamsters have been bred in captivity for some time, while gerbils and chinchillas have been brought and introduced to US by a scientist Dr Victor Schwentker and a engineer Mathias F. Chapman in 1954 & 1918 respectively.
Even though these animals look the same, their living environments are totally different. For example the gerbil with its small body and long tail lives in dry places such as deserts or prairies (there are african, indian and asian species) while chinchillas, having a larger body with a more furry tail lives in the Andes moubtains in South Americas .
Hamsters and gerbils have a average lifespan of 2 to 4 years while chinchillas have a lifespan on average 15 to 20 years (!). However their choice of food is quite similar. Along the common hamster feed, they also eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. They consume little liquids due to the dry environments that they came from and also from the food they ingest.
Rearing these animals is a nice alternative to other pets such as dogs or cats due to their quiet nature, and they need less maintenance other than the occasional cleaning of cages and the change of drinking water. More information regarding these animals and their care can be read from my blog … hope it helps!
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Source by Weijun Ouyang
