The Daily
Courting mama
Posted by tina (Vienna, Austria) on 19 July 2011 in Animal & Insect.
While I was watching the mother with her young at the burrow a biiig male came over and started to court the mother. I was surprised she did not chase him off - no, she sniffed him very softly, "kissing" him. She even went off to gather more food leaving the big male with her young. Seems she was confident that he would not attack her pups.
I was very surprised by this behaviour because European hamsters are not social, they are solitary like Syrians and can be quite fierce (note the torn ears of the male - he had obviously been in several fights).
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Canon EOS 500D
1/160 second
F/4.0
ISO 1600
97 mm
feldhamster
european
hamster
cricetus
endangered
wildlife
