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Zoology Science Fair Project

Territorial Hamsters

Easy
Territorial Hamsters | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Hamsters are territorial animals, and when two of them are placed in the same cage, they will fight to the death. In this science project, we will observe the behavior of hamsters when placed in cages with one or two sets of resources.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that hamsters placed in the same cage will display antagonism toward each other.

Method & Materials

You will need to select sixteen adult hamsters and divide them into 8 pairs. You will then prepare the hamster cages by placing a water dispenser, food tray and running wheel in each of the cages. Finally, you will observe the behavior of the hamsters for 8 hours.
You will need 4 single-layer hamster cages, 4 double-layer (2 levels) hamster cages, 16 hamsters, 12 feeding trays, 12 water dispensers, 12 running wheels, and a pair of gloves.

Results

The results showed that the pairs of hamsters in the single-layer cages with 1 set of resources fought more often than the hamsters in the double-layer cages with 2 sets of resources. This proves that hamsters are territorial animals and will fight when placed in the same cage.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how hamsters behave when placed in the same cage. It also shows how providing the hamsters with a larger cage and two sets of resources can help reduce the fighting between the pair of hamsters.

Also Consider

Variations of this science project could include testing if other rodents, such as mice, exhibit the same territorial behavior. The experiment can also be repeated to compare the behavior of young hamsters, older hamsters and hamsters of different gender.

Full project details

You can find additional information and details for this science fair project here. Have fun exploring!

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