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Syrian or Golden Hamsters
Scientific Name: Mesocritus Auratus
Country of Origin: Syria
Lifespan: About 2 years
Size and Weight: 20 to 25cm and 100g to 150g
Other Important Facts: Syrian hamsters are nocturnal and odourless. They spend mush of their time grooming and rearranging their cage. They have cheek pouches which they use to hoard food and then disgorge it in their nest. They can be found in many colors and in many different types of coats and patterns. A Syrian hamster is solitary and must be caged separately from the age of 8 weeks.
Campbells Russian Dwarf Hamster
Scientific Name: Phodopus Cambelli
Country of Origin: Central Asia, Northern Russia, Mongolia, and Northern China
Lifespan: About 1 to 2 years
Size and Weight: 10 to 12 cm and 50g to 75g
Other Important Facts: This hamster lives in sand dunes in the wild and benefits from shallow dish of chinchilla dust. Males tend to be larger than females with a longer body as opposed to females short, round, and plump body. They often release oils similar to those of ducks. Russian Hamsters should be bought in pairs, because they are a sociable group. The hamsters need to be housed in a glass as they can squeez through the bars of many hamster cages. The Russian Dwarf is not ideal for young children, because it is more prone to nip due to clumsy handling than the Syrian hamster.
Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Scientific Name: Phodopus Roborovski
Country of Origin: Central Asia, Northern Russia, Mongolia, and Northern China
Lifespan: About 3 to 3 1/2 years
Size and Weight: 4 to 5cm and 20g to 25g
Other Important Facts: The Roboroski hamster is becoming increasingly more available in pet stores. It is fast and very lively, but rarely nip. This hamster is not normally recommended to the first time hamster owner, as they can be tricky to handle. Roboroski hamsters are very sociable and should be bought in pairs of the same sex although many pet stores cannot sex these hamsters confidently. Roboroski hamsters should never be housed in small cages despite their small size and require at least a 24" X 12" glass tank or plastic cage. They should never be housed in barred cages, because they will squeeze through the bars or may get half stuck.
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