Unfortunately, it’s not at all uncommon to have a mother hamster eat some or all of her litter. There’s no hard and fast reason for why they do this, although some theories exist. For example, first-time mothers may be so shocked by the whole situation that they feel threatened by the new arrivals and simply eat them to remove the threat. Also, first time mothers can produce pups that are undersized or abnormal, thus causing the mother to reject and possibly eat them.
Remember the advice about adding extra protein to the mother’s diet? A good reason for this is that the mother may be craving extra nutrients after giving birth, and if they aren’t provided any other way she’ll eat her young to replenish herself.
You must be extra careful not to handle the young until they are about 14 days old. Doing so before then can cause the mother to reject the pup, causing her to ignore or eat it. Also, pups born outside of the nest area may not be recognized by the mother, again causing the same cannibalistic behavior.
It’s also thought that this behavior has something to do with making sure there’s enough food around to feed the number of pups born – the mother will eat enough young to make sure there’s enough food for the survivors. However, we can’t really be sure why. If you happen to see it, know that other than providing a warm and quiet environment for the mother and pups, along with plenty of food, there’s nothing else you can do to ensure the pups’ survival.
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By: danielle on 16-03-2008 01:20
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