Mary Allen
Sure, everyone knows the golden hamster – but apart from the well-known golden hamster and field hamster, there are a surprising number of hamster species. Your animal world shows ten of them that you are guaranteed not to know.
The Golden Hamster Has Umpteen Subspecies
Let’s stay with the golden hamster for now: It comes from Syria and Turkey and nothing knocks the rascal over that quickly. The golden hamster is a nice, friendly fellow and can grow up to 16 centimeters. Mostly it is golden brown (hence the name), but there are some subspecies with different coat colors.
Confident Cream Syrian Hamster
The similarly large subspecies of the golden hamster are Syrians and Turks: The trusting cream golden hamster has a cream or apricot-colored fur and is one of the hamster species with a balanced nature.
The Satin Golden Hamster Rests in Itself
The satin golden hamster is available in different colors – for example in red, black, or white. The defining characteristic: the sheen in the coat. Satin golden hamsters are quite tame and self-contained.
Teddy Golden Hamsters Rely on Plush
The trusting teddy golden hamster has long fur on its bottom and back – if it swallows hair, digestion will not work out properly. The tame teddy golden hamsters come in many colors.
The Piebalds Like to Be Scared
There are also nervous animals among the hamster species: The spots on the piebald hamster may suggest that these cute fellows are always in a good mood – but they are ailing more often, are easily frightened, and are not calm themselves.
The Robust White-banded Golden Hamster
Whether brown, black, white, red, or cream – the white-banded golden hamster is available in all sorts of colors, but always with a white band in the fur. The friendly fur nose is robust but doesn’t like drafts.
Chinese Dwarf Hamsters Love to Climb
“Small, but powerful” really applies to dwarf hamsters: These hamsters are only eight to twelve centimeters tall – but the friendly Chinese dwarf hamster is almost hyperactive, likes to climb, and is originally at home in northern China and Mongolia. In terms of color, he likes to wear gray, brown, and white with a dark line on the back. Young animals are more trusting than seniors.
Campbell Dwarf Hamsters are Round and Lively
The round Campbell dwarf hamster is at home in Mongolia, northern China, and southern Siberia. It also has an eel line and is available in different colors. Special features are white areas on the mouth and the belly in a chic cream color. These animals attach great importance to the sand bath.
Fast-paced Roborowski Dwarf Hamster
The Roborowski dwarf hamster is lively, enterprising, and really fast. It originally comes from Mongolia, northern China, and the Gobi desert. With a maximum of five centimeters, it is the smallest dwarf among the hamster species. And because he likes to run, he needs a home with a lot of space. The sand-colored hamster has white accents on the ears, extremities, mouths, stomach, and tail.
Curious Djungarian Dwarf Hamster
The chronically curious Djungarian dwarf hamster comes from Central Asia and the northern parts of China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The white belly contrasts with the dark line on the back. Otherwise, the lovable, quiet guy dresses in gray or dark brown. Sometimes shades of white, bluish, or mother-of-pearl-like colors are also bred for it.
Hamster Species: Similarities and Differences
The nocturnal hamsters usually live one and a half to two years old. It can be half a year more for the species Campbell dwarf hamster, cream golden hamster, Djungarian dwarf hamster, and Roborowski dwarf hamster. The Chinese dwarf hamster, which can live up to four years of age, has a unique position as Methuselah.
Actually, all hamsters are loners who can bloody fight with other animals. Only with the Roborowski and Campbell dwarf hamsters can one carefully try to keep them in groups, because there can also be sociable contemporaries.