Types of Hamsters

There are five types of hamsters that can be found as pets in many homes. Hamsters are the quintessential first pets for many children growing up. Because of their small size, low cost, and shorter time investment, a lot of people find them to be an ideal first pet.

There are many considerations to take into account though when choosing which breed to bring home. Some breeds are ideal for children while others might work best for experienced adults.

Let's start with the most common hamster type and the one that is most ideal for older children. The Syrian hamster was discovered in the 1940's and initially bred for laboratory purposes. They are often grouped with the dwarf hamster though they are technically not. They can grow to be anywhere from 12 to 16 cm.

Syrian hamsters are very common in most pet stores and they come in a wide variety of coat colors. Due to their various colorations, Syrian hamsters are also sometimes called Golden hamsters, teddy bears, black bears, honey bears, panda bears, or Dalmatians.

The next type of hamster is the Chinese hamster. This is another hamster breed that is also incorrectly lumped together with the dwarf hamsters. It is a small hamster but it is long and lean and can grow to be 12 cm. For this reason, it is recommended that you not use a wire cage as they can easily wriggle between the wires. It is also probably a good bet to keep them separated as the Chinese hamster can have aggression issues with other hamsters.

The Chinese hamster comes from Mongolia and Northern China. They have a very long tail for a hamster (the other breeds have tails that are barely visible), which results in many confusing them with rats or mice. Their coats also appear to be very mouse-like with a mixture of browns, black and gray. A dark stripe called a dorsal strip typically goes down their backs.

The true dwarf hamsters include the Winter White Russian dwarfs, the Campbell's Russian dwarfs, and the Roborovski dwarfs. The Winter Whites and Campbell's Russian are so alike that many pet stores actually have difficulty in telling them apart. The Campbell's Russian dwarfs tend to have thicker coats but in general, they both grow to be about 7-11 cm long.

These two dwarf breeds are very social with each other and actually like to live together. In order for this to be successful, you should buy young hamsters and raise them up together.

Finally the Roborovski dwarfs are the smallest of all the dwarf hamsters at 4 - 5.5 cm. Due to their very small size and delicate bodies, the Robos might not be the best choice as pets for young children. They are extremely fast and very active which might be difficult for a young child to keep up with and handle. However, they are interesting to watch as they are very active and love to stay busy exploring their world. If you are more interested in cuddling and handling a hamster, a Syrian might be a better match.

Before you make your purchase, you should understand which type of hamsters would be the best fit for you, your home, and your lifestyle.

For more information on the different types of hamsters, check out DwarfHamsterSite.com. Liz Andrews has been a hamster enthusiast for nearly 20 years. Her newest book, 'Dwarf Hamsters In a Nutshell,' teaches hamster owners absolutely everything they need to know about caring for their pet.

View the original article here

earning training