Pines are among the most commercially important tree species valued for their timber and wood pulp throughout the world.

In temperate and tropical regions, they are fast-growing softwoods that will grow in relatively dense stands, their acidic decaying needles inhibiting the sprouting of competing hardwoods.

Commercial pines are grown in plantations for timber that is denser, more resinous, and therefore more durable than spruce (Picea).

Pine wood is widely used in high-value carpentry items such as furniture, window frames, panelling, floors and roofing, and the resin of some species is an important source of turpentine. (source)

So can hamsters eat pine at all, so as to grind their teeth on it to stop them growing?

Yes they can eat pine, as long as it is the kiln-dried white variety. Nothing else.

Dwarf hamsters are the tiniest type of hamster.

Despite how small they are, they are extremely popular pets for both children and adults alike.

Despite their size they are extremely capable creatures.

Their resourcefulness has meant that they have withstood the attacks of many predators and adapted to their environment throughout the centuries.

The different species of dwarf hamster which are in the family of cricetidae shows how they have adapted in different environments.

They have shown how they have developed and evolved in their habitat.

Dwarf hamsters are found distinctively in China, Russia, Mongolia, Tibet, Kazakhstan and other parts of Eastern Asia.

They are creatures that measure between 7 to 10 cm or 2.8 to 3.9 inches in length.

They tend to be more sociable creatures than the larger species of hamster and tend to live together rather than by themselves.

So what are the different types of dwarf hamster?

Like other species of animal, they are split into different types of family and genus.

Note: For more details on animal families and genus, check out this page and this page

In the case of the hamster, dwarf hamsters belong mainly to the genus phodopus where they have their own genus as dwarf hamster.

Note: A genus is a principal taxonomic category that ranks above species and below family, and is denoted by a capitalized Latin name, e.g. Leo. (source)

But there are also other species of dwarf hamster that you can find.

Dwarf hamsters

• Phodopus is a genus of rodents which are native to central Asia which have unusual adaptations to extreme temperatures.
• They live in groups and there are known cases where the males help significantly with the raising of their young.
• They are nocturnal creatures and are active throughout the year.

There are three species in this genus that share very similar characteristics

Campbell’s dwarf hamster

• This species was given its common name by Oldfield Thomas in honor of C. W. Campbell (Charles William Campbell), who collected the first specimen in Mongolia on July 1, 1902.
• The Campbell’s dwarf hamster has small ears and no distinctive dark fur on its crown and has a narrow dorsal stripe with grey fur on the stomach.
• It is native to China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia.
• They are omnivores, and so feed on both plant and insect material.

Roborovski hamster

• The Roborovski are the smallest species of dwarf hamster averaging under 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) at birth and 4.5–5 centimeters.
• They have very short, broad and densely hairy feet.
• Robo’s have an average lifespan of three years, although this is dependent on living conditions.
• They are native to desert regions, such as the basin of the lake Zaysan in Kazakhstan and regions of Tuva, Mongolia and Xinjiang in China.

Djungarian hamster or winter-white Russian dwarf hamster

• Also known as the Siberian hamster, Siberian dwarf hamster or Russian winter white dwarf hamster.
• They have a thick, dark grey dorsal stripe running down their head and body and have furry feet.
• As winter approaches and the days shorten, the Winter white dwarf hamster’s dark fur is almost entirely replaced with white fur.
• They originate from Dzungaria, the wheat fields of Kazakhstan, the meadows of Mongolia, Siberia, and the birch stands of Manchuria.

Other types of dwarf hamster

Outside of the genus Phodopus, there are other dwarf hamsters inside the family of hamsters.

Tibetan dwarf hamster

• The Tibetan dwarf hamster is found not only in Tibet and China, but also in India and Nepal in mountainous regions at altitudes of up to about 5,200 m (17,100 ft).
• It has a head-and-body length of about 103 mm (4.1 inches) and a tail of between 30 and 37 mm (1.2 and 1.5 inches).
• The head and neck are a pale sandy ochre color and the body is a slightly darker and uniform shade of ochre.
• They are active in both the day and the night.

Kam Dwarf hamster

• The Kam Dwarf hamster is found only in the mountains of western China.
• It inhabits grassland, shrubby marshes and steppes. has a head-and-body length of between 88 and 112 mm (3.5 and 4.4 in) and a tail length of 51 to 64 mm (2.0 to 2.5 in).
• The Kam dwarf is found in western China where it is found in the Tibet Autonomous Region and the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Xinjiang.
• It is a mountain species and is found at altitudes of between 3,300 and 4,100 m (10,800 and 13,500 ft).

Chinese striped hamster

• The Chinese striped hamster is also known as the striped dwarf hamster, is a species of hamster.
• It is distributed across Northern Asia, from southern Siberia through Mongolia and northeastern China to northern North Korea.
• An adult Chinese striped hamster weighs 20 to 35 g (0.7 to 1.2 oz),
• It has a body length of 72 to 116 mm (2.8 to 4.6 in) with a tail of 15 to 26 mm (0.6 to 1.0 in)

Long tailed dwarf hamster

• The long tailed dwarf hamster has a head-and-body length of between 85 and 135 mm (3.35 and 5.31 in) and a tail at least a third as long as this.
• It is found in China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia much like other varieties of dwarf hamster.
• It inhabits arid areas with shrubby slopes, dry forests, rocky steppes, and the foothills and southern slopes of mountains

Gray dwarf hamster

• Its range extends from Eastern Europe through the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia to Mongolia and western China.
• The gray dwarf hamster has gray fur and a head-body length ranging from 85 to 120 mm (3.3 to 4.7 inches).

Sokolov’s dwarf hamster

Sokolov’s dwarf hamster has a distinctive dark stripe down its back on and otherwise grey body.

• They are found in China and Mongolia, and they are mainly found in burrows beneath desert shrubs.
• They have a head-body-length of between 77–114 millimetres (3.0–4.5 inches), tail length of 18–32 millimetres (0.71–1.26 in) and ear length of 13–19 millimetres (0.51–0.75 in).
• The skull is on average between 23–26 millimetres (0.91–1.02 in) long.

sources:
http://netvet.wustl.edu/species/hamsters/phodopus.txt
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/17035/0
http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Phodopus_roborovskii/
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ka-9f68nPT4C&pg=PA245&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/5525/0
http://www.ratbehavior.org/pet_rodent_classification.htm
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA1042&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Woodlice are from the class Crustacea family and the members of this family include shrimps, crabs, and lobsters.

They are insects that are found usually under rotting pieces of wood.

They have a shell-like exoskeleton, which it must progressively shed as it grows.

Woodlice can also invade homes en masse in search of moisture and their presence can indicate dampness problems.

They are not generally regarded as a serious household pest as they do not spread disease and do not damage sound wood or structures. (source)

So can hamsters eat woodlice?

No they can’t due to the bacteria that they could possibly contain having been out in the wild. Its just too much of a risk for them.

If they happen to eat one, just keep an eye on the hamster to ensure their are no ill effects from eating it.

Soft cheeses most likely to be made from raw milk include feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheese like Roquefort and Gorgonzola, and Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and panela.

It can also include cream cheese which is a soft, mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream.

Stabilizers such as carob bean gum and carrageenan are typically added in industrial production. (source)

So can hamsters eat soft cheese?

They aren’t the best type of cheese for hamsters to eat. Harder cheeses are much easier for them to eat.

However, if they nibble some they will be fine, but they do contain quite a lot of fat so don’t let them nibble too much if any at all.

Watermelons are a large melonlike fruit of a plant of the gourd family, with smooth green skin, red pulp, and watery juice.

They are eaten as a fruit and are renown for their high water content.

Watermelon rinds are also edible, but most people avoid eating them due to their unappealing flavor.

They are used for making pickles, sometimes eaten in the Southern US.

It is used less often as a vegetable, where the rind is stir-fried or stewed. (source)

So can hamsters eat watermelon rind?

Yes they can nibble on them, however, they provide no nutritional value for them and so aren’t the best food for them to eat.

Salami is a type of cured sausage consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically beef or pork.

Historically, salami was popular among southern and central European peasants because it stores at room temperature for up to 40 days once cut.

Because salami stores so well, it combats a potentially meager or inconsistent supply of fresh meat.

Countries and regions across Europe make their own traditional varieties of salami.

Salami is now sold across the world in many different grocery stores and markets. (source)

So can hamsters eat salami at all?

They can nibble at it but it is not something that should be fed too much as itt holds no nutritional value for them.

A raisin is a dried grape.

Raisins are produced in many regions of the world.

They may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing.

In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word “raisin” is reserved for the dark-coloured dried large grape.

They “sultana” in comparison is a golden-coloured dried grape, and “currant” being a dried small Black Corinth seedless grape.

So can hamsters eat raisins?

Let’s take a look at its nutritional data and find out more.

In particular, its acidic, water, sugar, fat, salt, calcium and phosphorus content is of most interest as far as hamsters are concerned.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 1,252 kJ (299 kcal)
Carbohydrates
79.18 g
Sugars 59.19 g
Dietary fiber 3.7 g
Fat
0.46 g
Protein
3.07 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1) (9%) 0.106 mg
Riboflavin (B2) (10%) 0.125 mg
Niacin (B3) (5%) 0.766 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5) (2%) 0.095 mg
Vitamin B6 (13%) 0.174 mg
Folate (B9) (1%) 5 μg
Choline (2%) 11.1 mg
Vitamin C (3%) 2.3 mg
Vit E (1%) 0.12 mg
Vitamin K (3%) 3.5 μg
Minerals
Calcium (5%) 50 mg
Iron (14%) 1.88 mg
Magnesium (9%) 32 mg
Manganese (14%) 0.299 mg
Phosphorus (14%) 101 mg
Potassium (16%) 749 mg
Sodium (1%) 11 mg
Zinc (2%) 0.22 mg
Other constituents
Fluoride 233.9 µg

source wikipedia

As you can see, raisins contain a hint of salt and fat, a lot of phosphorus, sugar and acidic content, and a little calcium.

This means that only certain hamsters can eat raisins.

Syrian’s and Roborovksi hamsters

They are okay for Syrian’s and Roborovksi’s to eat but only a few at a time. This is due to their sugar, and and acidic content which is quite high for them.

So do take care how much you feed them as they will eat as much you give them.

Winter white dwarf’s, Chinese, and Russian campbell dwarf hamsters.

These guys cannot eat raisins. They are too sweet for them and will make them sick due to the fact that they are prone to diabetes.

 

Pineapple is a large juicy tropical fruit consisting of aromatic edible yellow flesh surrounded by a tough segmented skin and topped with a tuft of stiff leaves.

It is a very popular fruit eaten in many different ways around the world.

So can hamsters eat pineapple?

Let’s take a look at their nutritional data and find out more.

In particular, their acidic, water, sugar, fat, salt, calcium and phosphorus content is of most interest as far as hamsters are concerned.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 209 kJ (50 kcal)
Carbohydrates
13.12 g
Sugars 9.85 g
Dietary fiber 1.4 g
Fat
0.12 g
Protein
0.54 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1) (7%) 0.079 mg
Riboflavin (B2) (3%) 0.032 mg
Niacin (B3) (3%) 0.5 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5) (4%) 0.213 mg
Vitamin B6 (9%) 0.112 mg
Folate (B9) (5%) 18 μg
Choline (1%) 5.5 mg
Vitamin C (58%) 47.8 mg
Minerals
Calcium (1%) 13 mg
Iron (2%) 0.29 mg
Magnesium (3%) 12 mg
Manganese (44%) 0.927 mg
Phosphorus (1%) 8 mg
Potassium (2%) 109 mg
Sodium (0%) 1 mg
Zinc (1%) 0.12 mg

source wikipedia

As you can see, pineapple contains a hint of salt, phosphorus, a lot of sugar, and quite a lot of acidic content.

This means that Syrian’s and Roborovski hamsters can eat pineapple in small amounts on an occasional basis. Do be careful not to give them too much though as it may make them sick.

However, due to its high sugar content, Winter white dwarf, Russian Campbell dwarf and Chinese hamsters cannot eat pineapple as they are prone to diabetes.