Though dogs initially require treats or physical affection when learning tricks, they will eventually respond to physical or voice commands without the presence of a treat. Though hamsters have notoriously poor eyesight, their sense of smell may trigger long-term memories, helping them identify specific individuals. There’s also plenty of anecdotal evidence supporting the idea that hamsters are capable of recognizing individual people. In one study, researchers found that hamsters were significantly more likely to approach a person they’ve been around before than a person they’ve never seen before. Hamsters can recognize their owners, and they may also remember different people they have met. So it’s conceivable that a hamster might recognize its owner based on its owners’ scents! Frequently Asked Questions About Hamster Intelligenceĭo you have any lingering questions about hamster intelligence? If so, you may find the answer you’re looking for just below. These rodents may use both of these senses to detect predators, find food, and identify one another.īecause smell is closely associated with memory, there’s a good chance that a hamster’s long-term memories are tied to their sense of smell. But because hamster vision is so poor, they need to rely on their other senses to navigate the world around them.Ĭonsequently, a hamster’s hearing and sense of smell are more finely tuned than their vision. This lackluster eyesight helps hamsters determine whether it’s night or day, and it’s also partially responsible for initiating breeding. Instead of using their eyes to make out fine details and colors, their eyes mostly function to perceive whether their environment is light or dark. Hamsters are born with comparatively poor eyesight. A study conducted by Ben Vermaercke and his colleagues at KU Leuven found that rats can be smarter than people! A Hamster’s Sense of Smell Might Help It Remember Things When trained properly, rats can do impressive things. In general, rats are easier to train than hamsters. With this information in mind, you might ask yourself, “Are hamsters as smart as rats?”ĭespite both being rodents, rats and hamsters might are not equally smart. They use this type of memory to find their food dish and remember the location of their food hoards. Creatures with low intelligence lack this type of memory, making it challenging to revisit food sources or find other members of their species.īut hamsters seem to have a well-developed spatial memory. Spatial memory is necessary for any creature to remember and plan routes to various destinations. Hamsters Seem To Have Decent Spatial Memory A hamster’s spatial memory is one of its greatest assets and indicators of intelligence. Hamsters can also learn to navigate mazes (so long as the mazes contain food) by using their sense of smell. But when they notice that the wheel spins beneath their weight, they’ll likely begin using it as a means of exercise. When you introduce a young hamster to a running wheel, it might initially use the wheel as a litterbox or a place to store food. They learn how to use the wheel in their cage via trial and error. While you might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks (which is a debatable adage), you can teach hamsters to perform tasks they’ve never attempted before.įor example, though hamsters have the instinct to run around at night, they’re not born understanding how to use a hamster wheel. Hours after you’ve finished your shopping, you might struggle to remember your list! That’s because short-term memory consistently resets itself to make room for new information.īecause hamsters don’t need to retain shopping lists or phone numbers, they’ve likely never developed the ability to use short-term memory! But a lack of short-term memory doesn’t mean hamsters are unintelligent-they’re known as talented escape artists, and that’s something! Hamsters Can Master New Skills Unlike long-term memory, short-term memory is designed to help us recall small bits of information.įor example, you may use short-term memory to recall needed items when grocery shopping. This lack of short-term memory makes sense, considering how humans utilize short-term memory. While more studies are necessary to confirm that hamsters have poor short-term memory, there is evidence suggesting that hamsters don’t form short-term memories in the same way humans do. While some of these behaviors may stem from a hamster’s poor eyesight, their short-term memory may also be to blame. It’s not uncommon to see a hamster walk over a ledge or suddenly stop during the middle of an activity and stare off into space. If you’ve ever owned a hamster, you’re likely aware that they’re clumsy creatures. Frequently Asked Questions About Hamster Intelligence.A Hamster’s Sense of Smell Might Help It Remember Things.Hamsters Seem To Have Decent Spatial Memory.
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