Dwarf Hamsters

After the first discovery of the Golden hamster, new types were found in other parts of Asia and the Middle East.

Roborovsky’s dwarf hamster, the Chinese Hamster and Campbell’s dwarf hamster are all ‘dwarf ‘ hamster species and are all popular pet hamsters. These species aren’t technically ‘dwarfs’ but are known as such because of the smaller size relative to the Syrian. Campbell’s dwarf hamster has little ears and a narrow dorsal dark fur stripe down its back. The Roborovsky’s dwarf hamster, or ‘Robo’ hamster, is the tiniest of the dwarf breeds. It has white fur patches above the eyes and doesn’t have the dorsal stripe of dark fur found on other tiny breeds. The Chinese hamster is extended and thinner than the other breeds of hamsters and is more frequently compared to a mouse than a hamster. It also is the only hamster species that have a long prehensile tail.

Other Types of Hamsters

Several strains of Syrians also exist, for example. the Angora, which is legendary for males that have a beautiful, rich looking coat. The black bear is closely related to the Angora, differing in the sense that the coat color is black, and temperament is much more friendly.

How Breeds are Different

Variations between breeds and species is essentially the size, coat type and color. Biology and behaviour are the same between the different types of hamsters, with 1 or 2 exceptions. The primary difference between the Golden hamster and the dwarf is size. The Syrian reaches a typical adult size of 6 inches in length. The dwarf species only grow to, on average, 2-3 inches in length, making them half the size of the Syrian. The other significant difference between the Golden and the dwarf breeds is that, while the Syrian is a strictly solitary and shouldn’t be housed with others, the dwarf breeds are more social and will put up with being kept with others. However,, all hamsters should be monitored closely for aggressive behavior when caged together, particularly when originally introduced.

Cathy Doggins has authored many articles on small pets. When not caring for her dwarf and Syrian hamsters, Cathy helps as a volunteer at local pet shelters and cares for her growing collection of dwarf and golden hamsters.

Hamster Species Explained is a post from: WiredWriter