I think that hamsters are seen as a potential danger to Australia's very small marsupials such as the kowari. Though they wouldn't be competing for food (kowaris are little carnivores) they certainly would compete for burrows. Edited to add - I read that hamsters in the wild eat insects so there would be competition for food.
Hamsters are rather fierce fighters. I thnk the Kowaris would end up getting eaten. All hamsters are omnivores. How much animal protein they need depends on their species. The classical syrian gold hamster requires about 30% animal protein and is the most vegetarian hamster. Dsungarian dwarf hamsters need almost 60% animal protein in their diet and are the most carnivore species. As a rule of thumb: the smaller the species the more carnivore. (I helped a friend with his doctoral thesis on hamsters, hence I am pretty good at everything hamsterish )
did they rebel? (terrible joke) we buried a kitty years ago in my parents garden with a load of different flower seeds, they still grow there every year
Cool idea! I want to get burried with seeds, too! Sage, basil, marigolds and aquilegias. And dasies And a few strawberries would be nice. And sunflowers for the birds.
I should have realised when the shop assistant pretty much armed himself with tongs and gauntlets - he wouldn't pick them up.
the root of the problem is that in pet shops syrian hamsters are being kept in groups while they are by nature solitary animals. Thus they are under constant stress and that makes them aggressive. Another facet of that prob is that syrian hamsters have no bite-inhibition reflex like most other mammals. It's simply not necessary for them as in nature they have enough space to run away. In a pet shop or the buyer's cage they can't escape an attack and therefore will almost inevitably be killed by the stronger or more aggressive specimen. This goes particularly for those genetic lines that most resemble the wild form (brown and white, short fur). Long-haired breeds are less aggressive (propably because they trip over their own fur if they charge...). Females are always more aggressive than males. If hamsters were kept single in pet shops they'd all be quite friedly little chaps. If you get such a traumatized animal, the best strategy is to leave it alone until it has calmed down and feels safe in the new environment (usually 2-3 weeks). Then let the hamster make the first step - if it gets bored it will seek contact with you all by itself. Lure it to your hand with a yummy mealworm or an almond so that it learns to connect you with a positive experience. This way you'll tame the worst fighter within 6 weeks (In really bad cases, try mozzarella cheese or a drop of plain yoghurt - no rodent can withstand that. Only tiny bits, though, else the hamster will get indigestion! Please never feed chocolate, cookies or other sweets - almost all old hamsters and many young ones are diabetics)
Mine are long gone - even with the best care they have short lifespans, but I did love 'em. They were both in their own homes, but one never did calm down. Approach with care...
perhaps it was stressed by smelling the other hamster? How old did yours get? My last one died comperatively young: 25 months (he had cancer). My others all lived between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 years.
Just over two years and the other around two and a half if I recall correctly. It was about 17 years ago !