hamster (im confused)

Question
Hi Katie,

I got a black bear syrian hamster on April 30th of this year. He has played with two other hamsters (teddy bear syrian and another black bear syrian) many times in a playpen and just today I have noticed that he/she has been sleeping ALL DAY LONG! My friend said she noticed he/she is fatter then usual and is curling up in a ball to sleep. He/she is definitely much bigger then when I got him/her and when I feel his/her stomach I feel lumps. I'm not sure if he/she has been with the other hamsters in the past 2 weeks, but it could be possible. Is my hamster sick or pregnant. I need to know ASAP. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE write back. Thanks so much,

Danielle

Answer
Hi Danielle,

    It is possible he is a she and could be pregnant. A female hamster will poof out (look fatter) about 10 days into her pregnancy. Count 6 days from when you (or your friend) noticed he/she looked fatter, if he/she is pregnant, this is when you can expect the babies.
    Also, I would check the private area. A male will have 2 holes far apart ( .  . ) and a female will have 2 holes close together ( .. ) and will sometimes appear as only 1 hole.
    If you have anymore questions, please write again.

Thank you for writing!