Hamsters are small rodents and common house pets. They have large, round eyes that often appear bright and shiny, making them very cute. Understanding their needs is crucial for them to live happy, healthy life. Hamsters are nocturnal animals; hence sleep during the day and are very active at night. The big question is whether they see in the dark or do they need extra light?
Taking care of hamsters is a considerable responsibility and to make them safe and happy requires various things. They include toys, food, and a right home environment, and thanks to technology, the process is made easier with online delivery of services and gadgets. However, technology comes with its fair share of uncertainties. For example, LED lighting, smart devices, and other equipment make living with pets more comfortable. While they have significant advantages, there is rising concern about LED lights on pets, especially rodents.
Benefits of LED Lights
LED lights are a new entrant in the market. They produce using light-emitting diodes, unlike light bulbs that use filaments. It comes with great benefits, including;
Cool temperatures
The light-emitting diode does not produce heat and, therefore, does not make the bulb hot. This factor rules out the possibility of overheating or fire risks that can put pets in danger and increases efficiency.
Brightness and color options
The LED light comes in various color options ranging from warm yellow, daylight white, blue, green, and red. The light brightness is also adjustable and can be dimmed or increased. All you need is a flexible LED light bulb available in most stores and appropriately installed. Customizing the LED light is vital since if you are worried about too much exposure by artificial lights, you can regulate the lights protecting pets from eye strain.
Economical features
LED lights have low economic footprints since they use diodes to produce light and last twice as long as other light bulbs. The lifespan of an LED light is about 50,000 hours. They use little energy to create light reducing carbon emission each year. This is beneficial to animals as it provides a safe and healthy environment to grow in.
Environmentally Friendly
LED lights consume way less electricity compared to fluorescent and incandescent sources of light. For example, a 5-to-7-watt LED light bulb produces brightness equivalent to 60 watts incandescent or 15-watt fluorescent bulb. Additionally, installing an LED light bulb had been approved as a quick way of reducing consumption without a massive change in human behavior. The light bulbs also do not have any toxic materials like mercury.
They last
The most significant advantage of LED bulbs is their ability to last long. The light bulb does not wear out quickly and is designed to last ten times more than ordinary light bulbs.
The Downside of LED Bulbs
Directional lighting
Being directional means that the light only springs from the top half. This makes the LED light bulb scatter light in one direction than other bulbs that scatter light in all directions. Even though LED bulbs are ideal directional light sources, they are less effective in lighting.
Short-term cost
The LED light can be cost-effective over time, but they are often more costly than incandescent light bulbs. Besides, for people looking for short-term lighting, other light bulbs are preferred. However, with continuous production and consumption, the cost of LED light bulbs is likely to reduce.
Effects of Blue Lights on Hamsters
Research has it that Blue light can affect a hamster’s mood. Blue and dim white light have more evidence of causing mood changes to exposed hamsters than exposure to a red light or total darkness. The research explores the mood changes in hamsters when they consume sugar water since sugar water is considered hamster treats. If the Hamster takes large quantities of sugar water, their mood is normal, but their attitude is likely to change if they take fewer amounts.
Concerning the brain, it was found out that the dendritic spines that are responsible for chemical signaling between the brain cells were reduced. This happens when the Hamster spends the night in dim white or dim blue light. The dendric spines are hairlike growths inside the brain cells that transfer messages between cells. A reduction in these dendric cells is linked to an indication of depression.
The light color affects the photosensitive retinal ganglion cells found in the retina of the eye. These cells play a huge role in identifying light and sending information to the brain part involved in circadian rhythm, emotion, and mood.
Hamsters and Light
Hamsters only require very little light. They are usually very intuitive to sunlight during the day, and their reaction is to go to sleep. It is not best to interfere with the quantity of light that the Hamster receives daily or change his sleeping pattern as he can be more stressed and sleep-deprived. Slight light in the Hamster’s system means that it is time to sleep. To ensure the Hamster stays healthy, allow him to use his sleeping schedule, and get a lot of rest.
Ideally, a hamster needs to be positioned in a room that gets plenty of natural light but not directly under the sun. a climate-controlled and bright space that does not require artificial lights creates a natural environment for the Hamster. Artificial light disturbs the hamsters waking cycles and natural sleep, starting aggressive and behavioral problems. Too much light or lighting at the Hamster’s wrong time affects his physical and mental health. The Hamster’s cage should not have light sources as it poses a fire hazard. The Hamster can overheat and get burnt if he stays close to the light for more extended periods.
Do Hamsters Need Light to See?
Hamsters require light to see but in small quantities, unlike humans. A hamster’s eyes do not pick up more ambient light but much lesser than most night animals. Hamsters see best in low light areas rather than full sunlight during the day. On the contrary, they cannot see well in very dark places.
Hamsters often rely on the sense of touch using whiskers and paws and sense of smell and ears to move around. They are usually prey animals hence use the night time to find food, exercise, and eat due to the low light. Naturally, hamsters nestle and burrow in their beddings to sleep; hence natural daylight is not a big issue. However, if the sleeping area is directly under the sun, it can be scorching for the Hamster and affect his health.
Besides, artificial light is problematic to the Hamster as it disrupts his sleeping schedule. Too much sunlight causes the Hamster to be aggressive and stressed. Stress not only affects his emotional health but can also be detrimental to his physical health. If the Hamster is exposed to long term stressful stimuli like artificial lights, they can fall very sick and eventually die. Therefore, the Hamster does not require much exposure to sunlight while in his cage.
The Hamster should not be kept in total darkness either as it can equally cause stress. Even though the Hamster’s vision is sharper in low light, they do not have any night vision and cannot see it in the dark. Natural light is very beneficial to the Hamster as it guides his sleep cycle, allowing him to have a healthy and happy life.
How the Hamster’s Eyes Work
Like most mammals, the hamsters see the world using precisely detailed eyes. When light enters the eye, it passes through a transparent layer around the eye responsible for letting UV light and visible light enter the eye. The coating is known as the cornea. The light then goes through the pupil, which regulates the amount of light that enters the eye. The pupil often shrinks in bright light and expands in dark areas.
The light then passes through the eye lens that filters the light and bends it to focus more before passing through the gel-like retina. The retina is in the back of the eyeball and translates light energy to electrical signals passed through the brain’s optic nerve. The retina is made up of photoreceptor cells, namely rods and cones. The photoreceptors receive light and covert to brain signals, which trigger biological processes like sleeping or waking up.
Cones are responsible for bright light, while rods allow vision in low light. Cones possess light-sensitive proteins called opsins that sense varying light wavelengths. They are also used to differentiate colors and shapes. Hamsters being mammals, can only make out green and blue opsins. The hamsters are active at night and hence have more rods than cones.
As nocturnal animals, hamsters have large eyes with big pupils and large retinal surface areas to collect more light. Their eyes are sphere-shaped with various colors, including clear pink, dark red, brown, or black, depending on the species’ type. Hamsters have large proportions of the lens to allow additional light. The pupil is more evident, and the iris, the white part of the eye, is considerably smaller and sometimes not white.
What Hamsters See
Hamsters are naturally born with a flawed visual system, and at birth, they are photophobic and blind. This means that too much light causes discomfort to their eyes, making their eyesight poor during the day. Since hamsters have more rods than cones, their color capability is deterred and hence blurry vision.
Hamsters do not need their vision to find food or to catch insects. Interestingly, they pass social signals to each other while being aggressive and respond to much light by being still. Visual acuity for hamsters is essential for adaptation as they utilize them in various ways. Hamster’s field of vision is panoramic with a binocular field of vision, which gives them a perfect depth of perception.
Why Hamsters Do Not Have Good Eyesight
Hamsters are not designed to live in cages or homes as pets. They are naturally meant to burrow and nestle and venture out during the night. Living under the soil and being active at night does not necessarily need much light. Hamsters interpret and understand their world by listening to sounds, smelling scents, and touching things. Their poor eyesight can lead to severe injury and require their owners to have proper safety measures in place.
Hamsters belong to the wild.
Hamsters naturally burrow and live underground. They usually sleep during the day and run around in the night, looking for food and escaping their predators. As such, they utilize their sense of smell and hearing more than eyesight. Hamsters can only see very few inches past their noses.
Hamsters are nocturnal animals.
Hamsters have very poor eyesight, which is mostly contributed to the fact that they naturally sleep during the day and are active at night. Like other nocturnal animals, they rely more on other senses for survival. Additionally, the Hamster has a very narrow-angle of vision and better sees in low light. While in bright light, the Hamster is near-blind and relies on whiskers and ears to move around.
Captivity risks
Keeping the hamster safe requires the owner to understand his poor eyesight better. Having the Hamster in a multi-level cage is very dangerous as he will not be aware of how far up he will be. He might jump and cause injuries like internal organ damage, broken limbs and can sometimes lead to death. You should also not allow the Hamster to sit on your shoulder or hold him in a raised position. He might leap from his position and severely injure himself. Due to his poor eyesight, if he manages to escape, he might get himself in trouble, like being caught in a rat trap.
Poor-eyesight related behavior
The Hamster’s poor eyesight is usually to blame for their biting behavior. Sudden movements often frighten them, and since they do not see what it is, their reaction is to bite. This is a purely defensive behavior, and they should not be punished for it. When handling him, ensure you are gentle and approach him slowly. After a few times, he will recognize your scent, and the more you hold him, the less he will bite.
The Bottom Line
Hamsters tend to be very sensitive to bright artificial lights and direct sunlight as they can be very harmful to them. However, natural light is essential in maintaining their sleep schedule, thereby reducing stress and aggressiveness. It is unnecessary to add light to the Hamster’s cage-like LED lights or cover the cage during the day. They are nocturnal and automatically regulate their sleeping patterns. Hamsters see well in low light levels compared to bright light or total pitch darkness.