Interesting information on Dwarf Hamster Scent Glands

[babyboos]

If you turn your male Campbell's Russian Dwarf hamster over you will see his scent gland quite easily normally - it is that large yellowed waxy area in the centre of his tummy - but did you know dwarf hamsters have more than one scent gland? The glands are located at the corner of the eyes, pouches, behind the ears and from the rectal and urinary vents. The equivalent of the gland located on the male's abdomen can be found on the female's genitalia. The primary function of these scent glands is to mark territory through grooming. In the wild, the hamster would mark the entrance to their burrows by rubbing their ears and eyes with their paws and scratching and rolling. Now you can see why they get such enjoyment from their sand baths and rolling in their own pee



Dwarf hamsters with their relatively poor eyesight mark the trail they follow using the odour from their scent glands. By grooming before leaving the burrow, the scent is adhered to its paws therefore marking their entire trail which can then be back-tracked all the way back to the safety of the burrow. The scent on both the trail and the entrance can last up to eight days.