The Syrian Hamster is sometimes referred to as the 'Golden Hamster' due to its original wild golden colouring although today there are many different color and coat mutations. It is also sometimes referred to as the Standard or Fancy Hamster and Long Haired Syrian hamsters are sometimes referred to as 'Teddy Bear Hamsters'. In addition the Hairless Syrian Hamster is sometimes referred to as the 'Alien Hamster' and the Black Syrian Hamster is also referred to as the 'Black Bear' or 'European Black Bear' Hamster.
The Syrian Hamster is the most common type of hamster kept as a pet and is approximately 6-7 inches in length with a very short tail. It has hairless feet with four toes on the front feet and five on the back feet. The Syrian Hamster has expandable cheek pouches which it uses to collect and carry food and bedding and it can carry up to half its body weight in grain in its cheek pouches. It is a solitary animal and will not usually live with another past 8-10 weeks of age and so it is important that they are housed separately as serious fighting, even death can occur if more than one are kept in the same cage. The Syrian Hamster is nocturnal, usually waking during the evening. It makes a good pet and easy enough for small children to handle under supervision. The average lifespan is 2-2½ years although they can live longer and up to 3-4 years is not too unusual.
The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster inhabits the Steppes and semi deserts of Central Asia; the Altai mountains Tuvinskaya Autonomous Region (Tuva), Transbaikalia, Mongolia, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), and the adjacent parts of Heilungkiang and Hebei provinces of Northeastern China, where it lives in sand dunes.
The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster (sometimes incorrectly labeled as the Siberian Hamster in pet shops) is the more common than the other species of Dwarf Russian Hamster, the Dwarf Winter White Russian (Siberian) Hamster, and is often seen in pet shops in many countries today. Both the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster and the Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster are sometimes labeled as Djungarian Hamsters. The Russians themselves refer to the Dwarf Winter White as the Djungarian but American Scientists refer to the Campbells as the Djungarian. It is however a very misleading name as neither species actually inhabit the area of Djungaria.
The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is approximately 10-12cm in length when full grown, with males being larger than females. The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster has a plump rounded body and expandable cheek pouches. Russian Hamsters have furry feet and are sometimes referred to as the Furry or Hairy Footed Hamster.
The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is sociable and will live with others of its own kind in single or mixed sex groups provided that hamsters are introduced at a young age. The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is nocturnal but can be quite active for short periods during the day. It makes a good pet although because of its small size it can be difficult for small children to handle. The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster can also be less tolerant of clumsy handling than the bigger Syrian Hamster and more prone to nip when annoyed. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some hamster cages and so cages designed for mice, glass or plastic aquariums make more suitable cages. The average lifespan of the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is 1½-2 years although they can live longer.
The Chinese Hamster originates from Northern China and Mongolia and belongs to a group known as Rat-like hamsters. It is not as widely kept as a pet as the Russian Hamsters and this is probably due to their mouse like appearance and the fact that fewer numbers exist due to some difficulties in breeding them. The Chinese Hamster has a slender mouse like body which is approximately 10-12cm in length with males being larger than females. The males have a large scrotal sac. The Chinese Hamster has expandable cheek pouches.
The Chinese Hamster is sociable and will live with others of its own kind in single or mixed sex groups provided that hamsters are introduced at a young age. However, within breeding groups the females can become very aggressive towards the males when pregnant and so it is important that they are housed in a large cage with many hiding places where the males can seek refuge. The Chinese Hamster is nocturnal but can be quite active for short periods during the day. It is extremely timid and can be fast moving and they are very good climbers. The Chinese Hamster makes a good pet although because it is fast moving can be difficult to catch but once caught they are a pleasure to handle. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some hamster cages and so cages designed for mice, glass or plastic aquariums make more suitable cages. The average lifespan of the Chinese Hamster is 2-3 years although they can live longer.
The Roborovski Hamster originates from Western and Eastern Mongolia and Northern China. It was imported into the UK in the 1960s by London Zoo but the present UK stock was imported from Holland in 1990.
The Roborovski is not widely kept as a pet because it is not as easy to handle as other species of Dwarf Hamsters. The Roborovski hamster is extremely lively and very fast but they are of very good temperament and rarely nip. They are rarely seen in pet shops but specialist hamster breeders in many countries do keep the Roborovski hamster. The Roborovski is the smallest of the hamsters kept as pets being only around 4-5 cm in size.
The Roborovski is golden-orange in colour with a white belly and has distinctive white 'eyebrows' which make them very appealing. Due to the difficulty in handling them they do not make good pets for children who want a pet they can hold. However because of their active nature they are fascinating to watch. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some of the hamster cages and mice cages sold in pet shops and so are best kept in glass or plastic tanks. Due to their extremely active nature they will appreciate a large tank despite their small size.
The Roborovski Hamster is sociable and will live with others of its own kind in single or mixed sex groups provided that hamsters are introduced at a young age. The Roborovski Hamster is nocturnal but can be quite active for short periods during the day. It is rather timid and makes a interesting pet to watch although not easy to handle. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some hamster cages and so cages designed for mice, glass or plastic aquariums make more suitable cages. The average lifespan of the Roborovski Hamster is 3-3½ years although they can live longer.
