Scientific and Veterinary Hamster Books

Hoffman, Robinson and Magalhaes, H., 1968, "The Golden Hamster: Its Biology and Use in Medical Research", Iowa State University Press

Streilein, J. W, Hart, D. A, Stein-Streilein, J., Duncan, W. R. and Billingham, R. E. (Eds.), 1981, "Hamster Immune Responses in Infectious and Oncological Diseases", Volume 134 in the series "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology", Plenum Press, New York.

This volume comprises the written contributions of participants in a symposium held in Dallas, Texas, June 3-5, 1980, entitled "Hamster Immune Responsiveness and Experimental Models of Infectious and Oncological Diseases". This meeting followed its related predecessor by three years.

This book contains thirty-nine papers in five sections: 1. Immune responses in vitro and in vivo (5 papers) 2. Molecular immunology (5 papers) 3. Effector cells in viral and tumor immunity (6 papers) 4. Pulmonary immunology (4 papers) 5. Responses to non-viral pathogens (5 papers) 6. Responses to viral infections (5 papers) 7. Infections with unconventional agents (5 papers - all on scrapie) 8. Viral oncogenesis and immune responses (4 papers), plus a Summation.

The articles in this book are written for a specialist medical audience in which the hamster is more a tool for research whose properties must be discovered than an animal of interest in its own right. As a result, whilst interesting, most of the information in this book is not relevant to hamster keepers but instead beneficial to professionals starting with postgraduate students of immunology and oncology.

Siegel, H. I. (Ed.), 1985, "The Hamster: Reproduction and Behaviour", Plenum Press, New York.

The book covers and attempts to summarise advances in reproductive endocrinology and psychobiology of the hamster since Hoffmann et al (1968).

There are four sections in this book, each divided into chapters. Section 1. Origin of the Hamster. 1 History of the Capture and Domestication of the Syrian Golden Hamster Section 2. Reproductive Endocrinology 2. The Estrous Cycle 3. Endocrinology of the Pregnant Hamster 4. Male Hamster Reproductive Endocrinology 5. Pineal-Reproductive Interaction Section 3. 6. Communication 7. Sexual Differentiation and Development 8. Female Sexual Behaviour 9. Male Sexual Behaviour 10. Parental Behaviour 11. Neural Basis of Reproductive Behaviour 12. Aggressive Behaviour Section 4. 13. Behavioural Development in the Syrian Golden Hamster 14. Biological Rhythms 15. Regulation of Energy Balance in the Golden Hamster and 16. Visual and Somatosensory Processes.

This book has much to offer the interested reader, especially if considering breeding Syrian hamsters. Much of the information is accessible and directly relevant to ensuring the optimal success of matings and pregnancies in a domestic hamstery although written with a scientific audience in mind.

Van Hoosier, G. L. and Charles W. McPherson, Charles W.(Eds.), 1987, "Laboratory Hamsters"

Parts of this book can be read online for free here.

Tajima, Yoshitsugu, Kuroki, Tamotsu and Kanematsu, Takashi (Eds.), 2009, "Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Carcinogenesis in the Hamster"

Parts of this book can be read online for free here.

Suckow, Mark A., Stevens, Karla A. and Wilson, Ronald P. (Eds.), 2012, "The Laboratory Rabbit, Guinea Pig, Hamster, and Other Rodents"

Parts of this book can be read online for free here.