If you are a hamster owner and if you have unanswered questions like whether they need light at night and what kind of light they would require, this is the right article for you. In this article, I have covered all hamster light requirements and It will help you to clear all your doubts about your pet hamster. Besides, if you wish to introduce a new pet to your family and if you have chosen hamsters for that, it would be worthwhile going through this article. It is vital that you learn about their lifestyle before you bring them home and this article will give you a good insight into the behavior of the hamsters during the night.
So, Do hamsters need light at night? No hamsters don’t require light at night. Therefore, you should avoid placing an artificial light in their cage. It would disturb them and shorten their lifespan. Although you breed them as domesticated animals, hamsters are crepuscular and nocturnal. they would do well in the dark in captivity as well as in the wild.
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Are hamsters annoying at night?
One might find hamster noise annoying at night. Hamsters are nocturnal animals which means they are very active during the night. They usually sleep during the day. That means they like to rest and they would be quiet during the daytime. That being said, if you are keeping hamsters at home as pets, keep in mind that even the slightest noise could wake them up. Due to this reason, you should avoid playing with them, especially in the early hours. If you do so, it will make them grumpy. For example, if you happen to wake them up during this nap time hamsters would find it very upsetting.
However, hamsters are active during the night and due to that, you could expect them to make some noises at night when compared to the daytime. Besides, if they happen to run around the cage during the nighttime, it is totally normal for them. In addition, if you have more than one hamster, they may squeak and chat with others, resulting in light-pitched squeaks. You could commonly see this behavior when they are happy. But you must understand, it is rare that hamsters do this activity except on occasions when they are extremely excited or happy.
Apart from the above facts, the type of cage you use also makes a great impact on the noises they make. For example, you may come across situations where the hamsters may gnaw on the bars and end up biting themselves at the end. ultimately it would result in an extremely loud squeaking which you would find annoying especially when you are asleep at night.
To recap on the answer, yes hamsters would be loud at night and the intensity of the noise may vary depending on the situation. Besides, if you sleep too close to the hamster’s cage, it would be very disturbing for you when you try to sleep.
Do hamsters need light at night?
No, they don’t need light at night simply because they are naturally built to do quite well during the dark. They are quite used to nightlife as they are nocturnal creatures. This literally means they can see things even during the night.
In fact, they would not want any light during the night. If you happen to expose them to light for a long period, it can shorten their lifespan. In fact it would badly impact their natural cycle. This is exactly why you need to avoid exposing them to any kind of light when they are in their cage or even when they are in their habitat.
How can you see your hamster at night?
Now that you know, hamsters don’t require light and if you want to see them during the night to monitor their activities, you need to ensure that the lighting you are using would not disturb them. However, you could use the following ways to watch the hamsters.
Red light
If you want to look at the hamsters during the night you may use red light as it would not be disturbing for them. Besides, hamsters would not react to the red light as they would not see it. This literally means you could see them without disturbing the hamsters. In fact hamsters would feel like they are in the dark and that nobody is around them.
Use the cameras
If you wish to look at the hamsters during the night, you may also consider using the cameras in the cage. It would allow you to record the activities without disturbing them. You can find suitable cameras at your local stores.
Use low lights
You may consider using lowlights to monitor the hamsters during the night. However, ensure that you place them away from their cages so that they will not disturb the hamsters. Those low lights are not that costly and anybody could afford to buy them.
So, you could use either one of these methods to look at your beloved hamsters during the night if you like doing so and it would not be disturbing for them at all.
How do hamsters see things at night?
Unlike humans, hamsters can see during the night, and it is quite interesting to discover the facts on how they can do that. In fact, hamsters are naturally constructed in a way where they can see things at night. Actually they don’t have any issues whatsoever in spotting things at night. Besides, they leave their scent as they move, and it would help them to figure out their way back to their home. Hamsters usually come up with well-developed eyesight which would be very active during the nighttime.
Should hamsters sleep in the dark?
Hamsters are nocturnal creatures that would stay active during the nighttime. So, it is very unlikely that they will sleep at night. Instead, they would look for food and do some exercises during the nighttime. In fact, the darkness means an energetic time for them. They would tend to stay awake and try to do something without sleeping in the dark. So if you see your hamster running a wheel or playing with toys don’t be surprised. They are naturally built to work at night and sleep in the daytime.
What color light is best for hamsters?
Red light would be the best color for the hamsters. In fact, hamsters can thrive under red and it would not badly affect them like the other colors do. For example, if you happen to expose the hamsters to blue and white, it would be unhealthy. For example, it can even make the hamsters go through depression as well.
Should I leave a light on for my hamster during the day?
It is not necessary to leave a light for the hamsters during the day as they prefer to have limited light. Whenever the daylight is on, they tend to get tired and sleep. Hence it is best not to interfere with the amount of light the hamsters get as if you do so, it would result in unnecessary issues. For example, they would tend to become stressed, depressed, etc. Besides, their sleep would also be obstructed too.
Do hamsters need natural light?
Hamsters would thrive in natural light. Hamsters contain light sensitive eyes and if you expose them for direct sunlight it would damage their eyes. Keep in mind that hamsters can see better when there is low light. So, during the daytime they would prefer to sleep and they would prefer to have natural light when they do this. If we consider the hamsters who are in their natural habitats, they would spend most of their time in the burrows. Hence, the natural sunlight would not create a great impact on them.
On the other hand, if we look at the hamsters who are in cages, they would spend a lot of time in their bedding during the day time. Hence, natural light would not be an issue for them as well. Having said that, you should ensure that you don’t expose them to any artificial light or direct sunlight during the day.
Do hamsters need a light in their cage?
It is best if the hamsters can gain only natural sunlight in their cages. Hamsters are sensitive creatures and they would prefer to have natural sunlight only. If you provide these lighting conditions, it would help the hamsters to stay healthy and happy. It is noteworthy that if the hamsters get too much light, it will interrupt their normal behavioral pattern.
Considering this, one might think that it is best to cover the hamster’s cage during the day, I would say not to do that as hamsters still require some level of light during the day. It is true that they prefer to sleep during the day. However, they would still prefer to know what is happening around their cage. Besides, it is very important that there is proper ventilation in the cages as well. It would make it easy for the hamsters to survive there. In other words, it would help them to stay cool and fresh.
How Much Light Do Hamsters Need?
Hamsters need 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light for their healthy growth. Most importantly they can survive with natural light as well as in artificial lights. However, I recommend exposing them to natural, indirect light instead of exposing them to artificial light. Do not ever expose them to artificial light during daytime and nighttime as it would pave the way for unnecessary issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do dwarf hamsters need light at night
Hamsters don’t require light at night simply due to the well-developed eyesight they have. Besides, darkness would make it more comfortable for them to stay active.
How much light is essential for the hamsters to flourish
Ideally, hamsters would prefer to have 12 hours of lightness and 12 hours of darkness within a day.
Are LEDS bad for hamsters?
Yes, too much LED is bad for hamsters. If you turn on LEDs all day long your hamster becomes uneasy and aggressive. Because they do not like light throughout the day. If you expose the hamsters to too much light, it would negatively affect the hamsters both mentally and physically.
LEDs normally emit white bright light and that kind of light is not good for hamsters. Therefore avoid LEDs for your hamster cage.
Do hamsters like daylight?
Hamsters would do fine with the daylight as long as there is not direct sunlight. In the wild hamsters hide out in holes during the daytime and hunt in the nighttime. Therefore they do not prefer to go into direct bright sunlight as many animals do.
Conclusion
To recap, understanding the light requirements of the hamster is not a complicated task at all. However, it is always best to expose the hamsters to natural, indirect light as much as you can. That said if you wish to lighten the hamster cage, you could proceed with a red light as it would not impact the hamsters in a bad way. However, ensure that you are using the red light only for a shorter period too. Hamsters are not the type of creatures that require a lot of light. Yet they would prefer to have some.
Hello, my name is James and I’ve been caring for tiny pets for over 14 years with a passion. I enjoy passing on my expertise to other individuals in order for them to have the same amount of enjoyment as I do.
