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Hamster - Quiz
Contributed by: Ball
  • 1. Who first scientifically described the Syrian hamster in 1839?
A) Leonard Goodwin
B) Charles Darwin
C) Israel Aharoni
D) George Robert Waterhouse
  • 2. In what year were researchers finally able to successfully breed and domesticate hamsters?
A) 1939
B) 1942
C) 1930
D) 1839
  • 3. What is the scientific name of the golden hamster?
A) Phodopus roborovskii
B) Mesocricetus auratus
C) Phodopus sungorus
D) Phodopus campbelli
  • 4. Who captured and imported the hamsters from Aleppo in 1930?
A) Alexander Fleming
B) Leonard Goodwin
C) Israel Aharoni
D) George Robert Waterhouse
  • 5. The entire domestic Syrian hamster population is believed to descend from what kind of group?
A) A single brother–sister pairing
B) Hamsters found in Europe
C) A colony of fifty hamsters
D) Multiple unrelated wild pairs
  • 6. What has been observed regarding the genetic variability of domestic Syrian hamsters compared to wild ones?
A) Identical genetic variability
B) Reduced genetic variability
C) Increased genetic variability
D) No genetic variability
  • 7. Leonard Goodwin claimed most hamsters in the UK were descended from a colony he introduced for what purpose?
A) Food production
B) Pest control
C) Pet trade
D) Medical research
  • 8. By what year were hamsters being kept as pets in the United States?
A) 1939
B) 1942
C) 1930
D) 1839
  • 9. Which hamster species is often incorrectly called the 'Russian dwarf'?
A) Winter white dwarf hamster
B) Campbell's dwarf hamster
C) Syrian hamster
D) Roborovski hamster
  • 10. Which hamster species changes its coat color to almost white when daylight hours decrease?
A) Campbell's dwarf hamster
B) Syrian hamster
C) Winter white dwarf hamster
D) Roborovski hamster
  • 11. Which species is noted for being extremely small and fast?
A) Winter white dwarf hamster
B) Campbell's dwarf hamster
C) Roborovski hamster
D) Syrian hamster
  • 12. What is the genus for the three species of dwarf hamsters mentioned?
A) Cricetus
B) Mesocricetus
C) Phodopus
D) Mus
  • 13. What parts of their body do hamsters use to dig?
A) Forelegs, hindlegs, snouts, and teeth
B) Only their snouts and hindlegs
C) Only their paws and claws
D) Only their forelegs and teeth
  • 14. At what depth do Syrian hamsters generally dig their burrows?
A) 50 cm
B) 30 cm
C) 70 cm
D) 100 cm
  • 15. What is the diameter of a Syrian hamster's burrow entrance pipe?
A) 4–5 cm
B) 12–15 cm
C) 8–10 cm
D) 1–2 cm
  • 16. What is the purpose of the blind-ending branch in a Syrian hamster's burrow?
A) Nesting
B) Hiding from predators
C) Food storage
D) Urination
  • 17. Which animal's tunnels does the Djungarian hamster use?
A) Mole
B) Pika
C) Mouse
D) Rabbit
  • 18. At what age do Syrian and Russian hamsters become fertile?
A) 3–4 months
B) 4–5 weeks
C) 6 months
D) 2–3 months
  • 19. How often are female hamsters in estrus?
A) Every four days
B) Once a month
C) Once a week
D) Every two weeks
  • 20. What is a sign of a female hamster in estrus?
A) Change in coat color
B) A musky smell
C) Loss of fur
D) Increased appetite
  • 21. How can you visually distinguish a mature male hamster from a female when seen from above?
A) The female has a brighter coat
B) The male is always larger
C) A male's tail line bulges on both sides
D) The female has a longer tail
  • 22. How long is the female hamster's reproductive life?
A) About 18 months
B) About 6 months
C) About 24 months
D) About 12 months
  • 23. What is the gestation period for Syrian hamsters?
A) 16 to 18 days
B) 23 to 30 days
C) 21 to 23 days
D) 18 to 21 days
  • 24. What is the gestation period for Roborovski hamsters?
A) 16 to 18 days
B) 23 to 30 days
C) 21 to 23 days
D) 18 to 21 days
  • 25. What is the maximum number of pups a Syrian hamster can have in a litter based on uterine capacity?
A) 13
B) 18
C) 30
D) 24
  • 26. What are the primary benefits of a burrow for a hamster in the wild?
A) Temperature buffering and predator protection
B) Easy access to water and light
C) Social interaction with other hamsters
D) Better visibility of the surroundings
  • 27. What is the quality of a hamster's eyesight?
A) Poor
B) Superhuman
C) Average
D) Excellent
  • 28. What color vision do hamsters have?
A) Red-green deficient
B) Full spectrum
C) Monochromatic
D) Colorblind
  • 29. In what range can hamsters hear and communicate?
A) Sonic range only
B) Only low frequencies
C) Infrasonic range
D) Ultrasonic range
  • 30. What type of eaters are hamsters?
A) Carnivores
B) Insectivores
C) Herbivores
D) Omnivores
  • 31. What is the biological term for hamsters eating their own feces?
A) Coprophagy
B) Fermentation
C) Hoarding
D) Hibernation
  • 32. Where do hamsters store food for later?
A) Stomach
B) Underground burrows only
C) Paws
D) Cheek pouches
  • 33. What happens to the size of a hamster's head when its cheeks are full?
A) It doubles or triples in size
B) It turns blue
C) It stays the same size
D) It becomes smaller
  • 34. How do most hamsters interact socially?
A) They are strictly solitary
B) They only live in pairs
C) They are always social
D) They prefer large groups
  • 35. What does research suggest about hamster activity patterns?
A) They are strictly diurnal
B) They are only awake at noon
C) They are primarily crepuscular
D) They never move
  • 36. Do pet Syrian hamsters hibernate?
A) No
B) Only if left outside
C) Yes, every winter
D) Only when sick
  • 37. What do hamsters use to leave a scent trail?
A) Urine only
B) Fur shedding
C) Scent glands
D) Saliva
  • 38. What do hamsters in the Middle East hunt in packs?
A) Small rodents
B) Seeds
C) Grass
D) Insects
  • 39. When do hamsters lose weight?
A) Autumn
B) Spring
C) Winter
D) Summer
  • 40. How can hamsters indicate stress if housed together?
A) Fighting fiercely
B) Sleeping more
C) Grooming each other
D) Hoarding more food
  • 41. Which language is the word 'hamster' a loanword from?
A) French
B) Greek
C) Latin
D) German
  • 42. What is the collective noun for a group of hamsters?
A) pack
B) colony
C) flock
D) horde
  • 43. Which of these is a fossil genus mentioned in the text?
A) Mesocricetus
B) Collimys
C) Cricetus
D) Mesocricetulus
  • 44. Which of these is NOT a reported color for hamster fur?
A) Purple
B) Honey
C) Grey
D) Yellow
  • 45. The Persian word 'hamaēstar' is believed to mean what?
A) small creature
B) oppressor
C) night walker
D) grain eater
  • 46. Which fossil genus is noted as being paraphyletic?
A) Cricetulodon
B) Hattomys
C) Colloides
D) Tragomys
  • 47. What describes the bone structure of hamsters?
A) Extremely dense
B) Non-existent in the tail
C) Highly flexible but heavy
D) Somewhat fragile
  • 48. To which order do hamsters belong?
A) Muridae
B) Rodentia
C) Muroidea
D) Cricetidae
  • 49. How many species of hamsters are contained in the subfamily Cricetinae?
A) 7
B) 15
C) 25
D) 19
  • 50. To which broader family do hamsters belong?
A) Arvicolinae
B) Rodentia
C) Cricetidae
D) Muridae
  • 51. With which group are hamsters most closely related within the family Cricetidae?
A) Sigmodontinae
B) Arvicolinae
C) Neotominae
D) Tylomyinae
  • 52. When did the earliest hamsters appear?
A) Paleocene
B) Early Pliocene
C) Late Pleistocene
D) Middle Miocene
  • 53. What is the recommended action for breeding pairs after mating?
A) Keep them together indefinitely
B) Move them to a larger enclosure
C) Separate the pair
D) Add more food to the cage
  • 54. At what age do young hamsters begin to explore outside the nest?
A) One month
B) Three weeks
C) One week
D) Two days
  • 55. How long do Roborovski hamsters often live in captivity?
A) One year
B) Six months
C) Five years
D) Three years
  • 56. What is a major risk of keeping male and female Chinese hamsters together after mating?
A) They will stop eating
B) They will become lethargic
C) Intersexual aggression
D) They will mate too frequently
  • 57. What is the primary purpose of a hamster show besides judging?
A) Vaccinating hamsters
B) Sharing enthusiasm for hamsters
C) Training hamsters for tricks
D) Selling hamster food
  • 58. What happens during a hamster show involving the participating animals?
A) A race
B) An adoption drive
C) An exhibition
D) A surgery
  • 59. Which viral disease was linked to imported hamsters in Hong Kong?
A) Ebola
B) Rabies
C) SARS-CoV-2
D) H1N1
  • 60. How many hamsters were potentially affected by the Hong Kong cull announcement?
A) 10,000
B) 500
C) 50
D) 2,000
  • 61. What method did some activists use to help owners keep their pets during the cull threat?
A) bribing government officials
B) Hiding them in basements
C) Forging purchase receipts
D) Moving them to another country
  • 62. Which part of a baby hamster is used to study cholesterol synthesis?
A) Kidneys
B) Heart
C) Liver
D) Brain
  • 63. Which part of an adult hamster is used to study cholesterol synthesis?
A) Eyes
B) Lungs
C) Ovaries
D) Stomach
  • 64. Which animal is also known as the maned hamster?
A) Cricetinae
B) Mouse-like hamster
C) White-tailed rat
D) Maned rat
  • 65. To which subfamily are true hamsters classified?
A) Cricetinae
B) Sciuridae
C) Muridae
D) Cricetidae
  • 66. Which of these is explicitly listed as a similar rodent sometimes mistaken for a hamster?
A) Gerbil
B) Chipmunk
C) White-tailed rat
D) Guinea pig
  • 67. What was the cutoff date for hamsters subject to the Hong Kong cull?
A) 15 December 2021
B) 10 January 2022
C) 22 December 2021
D) 1 January 2022
  • 68. What is the scientific name for the maned rat?
A) Cricetinae
B) Calomyscus
C) Lophiomys imhausi
D) Mystromys albicaudatus
  • 69. What was the government's approach to getting citizens to turn in their pets?
A) Door to door search
B) Strongly encouraged
C) Financial incentive
D) Mandatory seizure
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