#hamstersofig

Today's Google doodle features hamsters!!! Extra special for me and my crew today because in this household we don't celebrate Valentine's Day. We celebrate today as Hamster Day because Feb 14th marks the anniversary of when I got my first hamster ever, Dixie. That was back in 2002 and with the exception of a few months during a transitional period, I've had hamsters ever since. They've definitely made part of the last 20 years of this journey interesting and silly. Link to the Google doodle will be in the bio for those who can't copy/paste from here. Doodle: https://g.co/doodle/j92m7jc . . . . . . . #syrianhamster #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram  #hamstersarelife #mesocricetusauratus #lilpocketbears #syrianhamstersofinstagram #syrianhamstersofig #chinesehamster #cricetulusgriseus #dwarfhamster #phodopuscampbellixsungorus #lpb2022 #googledoodle #hamsterday2022 https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-rPf-sfNF/?utm_medium=tumblr

This week seems to be the week where things planned fall apart. As a lifelong celebrant of St Padraig's Day, I always look forward to March 17th. This year, I so badly wanted to do a themed photoshoot with the fur kids - seemed extra fitting given their very Irish names of Dáire, Beithín, Leamhán, and Caithne (all meaning respectively "Oak", "Little Birch", "Elm", and "Strawberrytree"). Extra excited too because the pandemic altered last year's plans to do this. So I picked up some lovely carnations in green, white, and orange at a nearby florist yesterday. I then rounded up my collection of other traditional St Padraig's Day things I grew up with (this, no joke, includes potatoes) and grabbed all things green for backgrounds and props, grabbed my digital Canon camera annnnd...discovered that the battery bloated and needs to be tossed. (Never, EVER charge or use a device with a bloated battery-- it can catch fire or worse, explode!) So now I'm waiting on a replacement ordered online. I didn't want to waste the beautiful flowers, so I took a junk shot with my shoddy smartphone camera. (Dear Moto- you disappoint me. Junk camera straight out of the box on the e6. Tsk tsk.) So. Until Plan C or D can be executed, here's a Moto e6 potato quality photo of my ginger potato pre-celebrating the potatoes she will taste tomorrow from my hamster version of boiled dinner (which includes potatoes, haha). Happy (early) St Padraig's Day, folx. . . . . . . . #syrianhamster #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram  #hamstersarelife #mesocricetusauratus #lilpocketbears #syrianhamstersofinstagram #syrianhamstersofig #chinesehamster #cricetulusgriseus #dwarfhamster #phodopuscampbellixsungorus #lpb2021 #lpbcaithne #stpadraigsday2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CMfVNvgANWR/?igshid=8cbp2sxfk5t7

Leamhán says "Gotta catch 'em all!" I'm new(ish) to the world of Pokémon. While my childhood friends were catching Pokémon, I was imaginary battling Darth Vader and the Borg. I started playing PokémonGO on a whim in 2019, learning about Pokémon beyond Pikachu and Charmander on the fly. I have quite a few favorites and Mimikyu (who Leamhán is hugging) is definitely one of them. I think there's a bit of Mimikyu in all of us. Leamhán and I are patiently waiting (and hoping) for Morpeko to be added to the game. (For the non-Pokémon aware folks, Morpeko is a hamster 'mon.) . . . . . . . #syrianhamster #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram  #hamstersarelife #mesocricetusauratus #lilpocketbears #syrianhamstersofinstagram #syrianhamstersofig #chinesehamster #cricetulusgriseus #dwarfhamster #phodopuscampbellixsungorus #lpb2021 #lpbleamhan #pokemongo https://www.instagram.com/p/CKyfIjEAOJm/?igshid=101wq23z023dg

This is Caithne Tawny Hawkweed. Her name is a bit long so she prefers Caithne or Tawny...but also responds to Gingerbear. And carrots. And cheese. Caithne is the Irish name of the Arbutus tree, aka the Strawberry tree. This is a tree native to Ireland, predominantly found in County Kerry in the western part of the country. It's pronounced "Kaan-yuh". As usual, changes a bit depending on dialect. Her second name, Tawny Hawkweed, comes from a flower that's a member of the Aster family. They resemble small dandelions and are a bright orange in color with stems that tend to be blackish/purple just below the flower head. They're native to Europe and grow in alpine regions as they favor the cold. Here in the US, they're considered invasive. (You know me and my heart for underdogs.) Though deemed a nuisance, tawny hawkweeds have a special place in my heart -- they're tough little plants, growing often where not many other flowering plants will grow. (Also, as you can see, Caithne's coloring also contributed to these names.) She's a long-haired cinnamon Syrian hamster. She's a bit jumpy though super curious. Let's you know she doesn't want to be handled but does so politely (aka, doesn't bite at all). She absolutely loves carrots and wee bits of Vermont white cheddar cheese. . . . . . . . #syrianhamster #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram  #hamstersarelife #mesocricetusauratus #lilpocketbears #syrianhamstersofinstagram #syrianhamstersofig #chinesehamster #cricetulusgriseus #dwarfhamster #phodopuscampbellixsungorus #lpb2021 #lpbcaithne https://www.instagram.com/p/CKuTv-RgMEJ/?igshid=kxtmtwkh262r

The internets often tells us that the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is the largest hamster. No. Wrong. (Kind of.) The Syrian hamster is the largest of the species commonly kept as pets in North America (the others being Chinese (Cricetulus griseus), Roborovski (Phodopus roborovskii) Campbell's (Phodopus campbelli), Winter White (Phodopus sungorus), & the hybrid of the latter two (Phodopus campbelii x sungorus)). The largest hamster species in the Cricetinae subfamily is actually the European hamster, aka the black-bellied hamster (Cricetus cricetus). These hamsters look like larger versions of Syrian hamsters but do not have their sunnier disposition. They're typically not kept as pets due to their aggressive nature. Considered pests for many years, they were driven to near extinction in some areas and are now considered an endangered species. Predicted to go extinct within the next few decades, reintroduction efforts across Europe and Central Asia have been started in hopes of saving these ferocious little cuties. . . . . . . . #syrianhamster #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram  #hamstersarelife #mesocricetusauratus #lilpocketbears #syrianhamstersofinstagram #syrianhamstersofig #chinesehamster #cricetulusgriseus #dwarfhamster #phodopuscampbellixsungorus #lpb2021 #informative https://www.instagram.com/p/CKp64z9gK_Y/?igshid=bnutia8fqj3o