
Most individuals know that hamsters are energetic pets that wish to run round their cage and in hamster wheels, however how briskly can a hamster run? Like different rodents, hamsters can run extremely quick. With their small dimension and brief legs, hamsters can run as much as 8 miles an hour.
Throughout their waking hours, hamsters might journey 5.6 miles in a single evening. Wild hamsters can go as much as 5 miles a day. Their pace and talent can fluctuate based mostly on a number of components, nonetheless, together with age, well being, weight, and breed.
How Quick Do Hamsters Run?
On common, a hamster can run at speeds of as much as 8 miles an hour. By comparability, the typical human can stroll three miles an hour. The hamster makes use of a mixture of its hind legs and tail to propel ahead, and that tail helps the hamster keep steadiness.
Along with being quick, hamsters have a whole lot of stamina. The common American walks lower than two miles a day, whereas the hamster can run as much as 5 miles in a single evening. This can be a talent they’ve developed to keep away from predators. They don’t have many pure defenses, so being fast helps them keep away from being prey for birds and snakes.
Which Hamster Breeds Are the Quickest?
There are 24 hamster species, however simply 5 are generally stored as pets: Syrian Hamsters, Chinese language Dwarf Hamsters, Campbell’s Dwarf Hamsters, Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamsters, and Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters. The smallest amongst them, the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster, is the quickest.

How Quick Are Hamsters In comparison with Different Animals?
The hamster could also be surprisingly quick for its dimension, nevertheless it’s hardly the quickest on the planet. Different prey species, such because the hare and antelope, are a lot sooner. The quickest birds can attain speeds which can be a lot sooner than the hamster as properly, which might be why these animals are so adept at searching and catching rodents.
Brown Hare | 48 mph |
Frigate Chook | 95 mph |
Peregrine Falcon | 200 mph |
Rat | 8 mph |
Hamster | 8 mph |
Methods to Give Your Hamster Sufficient Train
Wild hamsters are all the time energetic throughout their waking hours—often at evening—and wish loads of train to remain wholesome. It’s vital to have a big enough enclosure for your hamster to run, leap, spin, and bounce round, in addition to the all-important hamster wheel.
Your hamster wheel must be applicable to your breed’s dimension. For instance, a Syrian Hamster wants a wheel that’s not less than 7 inches in diameter, whereas a Dwarf Hamster can use a 5-inch wheel comfortably. That stated, hamsters will select a bigger wheel if given the choice.
One other good strategy to give your hamster train is with an exercise ball out of the cage. This enables your hamster to discover your property and environment. It provides extra enrichment than operating on a stationary wheel with the identical environment. Hamster train balls additionally require slightly extra work, since your hamster might want to push the ball to get it transferring.
It’s vital to not go away your hamster unattended within the train ball, nonetheless. It’s simple to your hamster to change into dehydrated or hungry. As well as, be sure that there are not any hazards round, comparable to staircases, and don’t go away your hamster to run the place canines or cats can entry them.

Conclusion
Like different rodents, hamsters are quick runners and have developed to evade nocturnal predators like birds and snakes. Whereas your pet hamster doesn’t have these dangers to take care of, their vitality degree hasn’t modified a lot. It’s important to provide your hamster with plenty of exercise and alternatives to run round to keep away from boredom and hold them wholesome and properly adjusted.
Featured Picture Credit score: Punyaphat Larpsomboon, Shutterstock