Science Topics on Hamsters
Hamsters are very interesting little mammals and exhibit a number of intrinsic responses to different situations and stimuli. Their nocturnal nature and the ways in which they mimic the behavior they would express in their natural habitat sets them apart from other domesticated pets and qualifies them to be the subject of a number of safe science experiments.
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Navigating a Maze
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Hamsters can be used in science experiments featuring a maze made from wood or plastic. For example, the experiment can focus on the amount of time it takes the hamster to navigate the maze based on the time of day he is placed into the apparatus. Hamsters are nocturnal, so the experiment would attempt to determine the effects of sleep deprivation on motor and cognitive skills. The natural assumption would be that the hamster would perform best during the evening, but a similar experiment conducted by a student at the Great Falls Middle School in Montague, Massachusetts, concluded that optimum performance took place at around 4 p.m.
Male vs. Female
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For those interested in the perennial battle of the sexes argument, studying the differences between the responses of male and female hamsters to certain stimuli is a science project that might produce satisfying results. Some of the situations that can be studied include the difference in the speed with which each sex can complete a maze or run on their exercise wheels at various times throughout the day. Also, charting certain food preferences between the sexes, their individual responses to loud noises or their reaction to having items in their habitat moved to different locations could result in surprising conclusions.
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Wheels
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Young hamsters are notorious for having a huge amount of energy, and they often run so fast in their exercise wheels that they look like a blur. The staff at otherpower.com conducted an experiment to see if a hamster could generate enough electricity by running in its wheel to power a light bulb. They started by determining the average revolutions per minute achieved by their test hamster, then designed an alternator to be attached to the wheel. After several other technical additions, their experiment was deemed a success.
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- Photo Credit water maze image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com
