Could a hamster survive in the wild in UK?

Holly's Mum · 05-09-2011, 01:33 PM

I was having a hamstery chat with a friend of mine recently and remembered a time when I was looking after a school friend's hamster while she was on holiday, and it escaped and we were afraid it had got out in the garden. (It hadn't and we found it ok.)

But I wondered, if a hamster did escape and get outside, say in a large garden, could it survive? Assuming there weren't any cats or foxes around, could it find enough to eat and somewhere safe to sleep?

CoolcatNatNat44 · 05-09-2011, 01:35 PM

If there were birds or foxes in your garden then i dont think hamsters would last very long. Plus there isnt much they can eat :/

**Ham Ham Hamstery** · 05-09-2011, 01:40 PM

Well there is European Hamsters in the UK but no Syrians couldnt survive neither could dwarfs

SnickersTheFirst · 05-09-2011, 01:45 PM

Well, predators are the biggest issue but if we forget about those...I'm still not sure.

Most gardens just contain grasses etc which I don't think they'd survive on. Plus if this is a domestic hamster, I doubt they'd be adapted enough to the weather and different foods. Although, I know some rescues have found hamsters living wild (owners released them/escaped) so it is possible.

**Hamtastic** · 05-09-2011, 01:52 PM

It probably depends on what the area where she lives is like. If it's in a city, my answer would be no. If it's in a more rural area with gardens, and if those gardens grow any edible plants, then perhaps a domesticated hamster could be ok for some time (if it can figure out how to eat food that does not look like a pellet or a small seed).

Sammybingo · 05-09-2011, 01:56 PM

I'm sure last year, in a lecture, we were told a story about a couple of hamsters that escaped in Manchester years ago. They dug and bred so efficiently that the extensive tunnelling eventually rendered a whole row of terraced homes unsafe. I'd love to know if that's true (you'd think being told it in a university lecture would mean it is..).

Holly's Mum · 05-09-2011, 03:13 PM

I'd love to think it was true though (not about the houses being made unsafe of course) that they could survive outside in the UK, just think that you might see them living wild and free!

fluffymunchkins · 05-09-2011, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ham Ham Hamstery

Well there is European Hamsters in the UK but no Syrians couldnt survive neither could dwarfs

European hamsters aren't native to the UK, although there may be some in captivity

**Ham Ham Hamstery** · 05-09-2011, 03:31 PM

Yeah that is true

Sammybingo · 05-09-2011, 03:33 PM

I think that was the only mention of hamsters in my invasive species lectures, so I'm figuring no.. if they survived well enough here (and I am sure some muppets have released them) they would have bred and become an issue. They aren't mentioned in any of my books, so sadly, I'm erring on the side of "no, they can't". x