Syrian Hamster or a Dwarf Hamster: What Type is Right For Me?

So, you have decided you want a pet hamster as part of your family. And that’s a great choice! Hamsters are cute, cuddly and are bound to attract the “nawh” expression from both young and adults. In addition, they are compatible with a busy life and requires minimal maintenance.

The first thing to know is there are five types of hamsters used as pets:

The 5 types of Hamsters

Syrian Hamster also known as the Teddy Bear Hamster - our recommended hamster for new hamster owners
Campbell’s Dwarf Hamsters
Russian Dwarf / Winter White Hamsters
Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Chinese Dwarf Hamsters

Besides beang adorable pets and closely related biologically, these five types of hamsters share a keen sense of hearing, a very good nose and unfortunately, a poor eyesight.

However, there are also many differences both in terms of size, appearance and expected life.

Below, we will explore habits of our furry friends, show pictures and present facts so you know how to take care of the hamster, that just right for you.

Or, if you're in a rush you can use our table below to quickly compare the different types of hamsters.

Type	Lifespan	Size	Social	Colors
Syrian	2-3 years	6-7 inches (15-17 cm)	Keep alone	Large variety
Campbell	1.5-2 years	4 inches (10 cm)	Alone or same sex pairing	Grey Brown White Ears
Russian Dwarf	1.5-2 years	4 inches (10 cm)	Alone or same sex pairing	Grey Brown White Belly
Roborovski	3-3.5 years	2 inches (5 cm)	Alone or same sex pairing	Variety of colors
Chinese	2-3 years	3 inches (8 cm)	Best kept alone	Dark Brown on Top White Belly

Syrian Hamster (or Teddy Bear Hamster): The Most Common Hamster as a Pet

Meet the Teddy Bear Hamster also known as The Syrian Hamster.

Teddy Bear Hamsters are the preferred choice by many due to their fluffy appearance with a golden-brown coat and white belly.

Further, they have a lively personality and a curios nature which makes them fun to be around and interact with (just like a good ol' bull dog).

For these reasons, the Syrian Hamster is our recommended choice for families getting their first hamster.

All about the Syrian Hamster

Expected lifespan:

2 – 3 years old.

Size:

Syrian Hamsters usually grow to a size of 6-7 inches (15-17 cm) in length. At that size, they will have a weight of 5-7 ounces (140-200g).

Appearance: Teddy bear like

Through breeding, the Syrian Hamster comes on a variety of colours from including white, brown and grey with a white belly. The colour they usually come in however, is their “trademark” golden-brown coat.

The jawbone and their ears will often be dark brown.

Behaviour: Easy to tame and handle

Syrian Hamsters are generally slow paced, good natured, calm and easy to tame and handle. These factors combined make them relatively easy to train. As with other animals it is also true for the Teddy Bear Hamster that the earlier you train it the easier it is.

Social: Always keep the Syrian Hamster alone

Unlike other hamsters, Syrian Hamsters are highly territorial. While easy for humans to be around, they should always live in solitary confinement.

So, the rule is one cage per hamster!

Otherwise, the hamster will get stressed, and fights with other hamsters will break out which may be fatal.

The territoriality of the Syrian Hamster has led to them having a reputation for being nippy. While they can be nippy they are so no more than other types of hamsters.

Daily Cycle: A nocturnal animal

The Syrian Hamster is nocturnal so don’t wake it during the day (unless it takes one of its few short sleeping breaks)! It is usually most active in the hours around 7PM.

Habitat:

You should have a cage or aquarium with a ground floor of at least 15x12 inches (38x30 cm). In total, it should have an area of 2 cubic feet (55 litres). The space between bars in the cage should not be more than 2 inches (5 cm).

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As mentioned they Syrian Hamster should always live alone.

The room temperature should be between 69 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (20-22 celsius).

Pregnancy:

The Syrian Hamster is pregnant for 16 days

Consumption:

The Syrian Hamster eats between 1/3 to 1/2 ounce of hamster food daily (10-15g) and will consume about 6 tablespoons (30ml) of water per day.

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Other Names:

Often referred to as a Golden Hamster (due to its coat), teddy bear hamster (due to the length of its hair), European Black Bear Hamster, Fancy Hamster, Standard Hamster. There is also a hairless variety often referred to as the Alien Hamster. The Species name is Mesocricetus Auratus.

Dwarf Hamsters – 3 different hamsters under 1 name

As the name suggests, dwarf hamsters are smaller than Syrian Hamsters. Other key differences from the Syrian Hamster is that they are faster and jumpier. Finally, they have an ability to live with other hamsters (of the same breed) in a cage.

The term dwarf hamster is often used as an umbrella term for 3 different types of Hamsters.

Types of Dwarf Hamsters

· Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster

· Russian Dwarf / Winter White Hamsters

· Roborovski Dwarf Hamster

These three types share the same characteristics:

· Fast and agile making them a bit harder to handle than Syrian Hamsters

· More social and can live both alone or in pairs (if introduced at a young age)

Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster: The Most Common Dwarf Hamster

Campbell’s Dwarf Hamsters is the type of dwarf hamster most often found in pet stores. It is the largest of the dwarf hamsters coming in at around 4 inches (10cm) with a weight of a little less than 2 ounces (50g). They have a relatively short lifespan of 1½ to 2 years.

All about the Campbell Dwarf Hamster