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The hamster has no fully accepted common name, but winter white dwarf hamster and Russian dwarf hamster are among the most often used. Confusion arises because of their physical similarity to Campbell's dwarf hamster; consequently, the name Djungarian hamster and Russian dwarf can refer to both winter white and Campbell's dwarf hamsters.
Roborovski hamsters remain underground in winter and survive in that season by stockpiling some food in warmer weather and storing it in special food chambers within their burrow system. In the Chinese province of Shaanxi it is known for foraging millet seeds. [13] In Mongolia, insects like beetles, earwigs and crickets are part of its diet.
Gestation lasts 16 to 18 days for Syrian hamsters, 18 to 21 days for Russian hamsters, 21 to 23 days for Chinese hamsters and 23 to 30 for Roborovski hamsters. The average litter size for Syrian hamsters is about seven pups, but can be as great as 24, which is the maximum number of pups that can be contained in the uterus.
However, captive breeding programs are well established, and captive-bred golden hamsters are often kept as small house pets. They are also used as scientific research animals. Syrian hamsters are larger than many of the dwarf hamsters kept as pocket pets (up to five times larger), though the wild European hamster exceeds Syrian hamsters in size.
Hamsters first gained popularity as pets in the 1930s, with virtually all modern Syrian hamsters (the most common pet species) tracing their lineage back to a single litter of hamsters taken to Palestine for scientific research in 1930. Shortly thereafter, in 1938, hamsters were introduced to the United States. [17] Dwarf hamsters are also ...
Roborovski (dwarf) hamster Roborovski's desert hamster [17] Robo (dwarf) hamster. Below is a key to the four species of dwarf hamster commonly kept as pets. Some dwarf hamsters are albino, in which case they will be primarily white and the fur colour characteristics will not serve to distinguish them. The characteristics in brackets will allow ...
As omnivores, Campbell's dwarf hamsters eat a variety of different foods. A balanced diet for a hamster consists of 16-24% protein, 60-65% carbohydrates, and 5–7% fat, with constant access to fresh water. [24] In their natural habitats, dwarf hamsters feed almost exclusively on plant materials. [25]
The grey dwarf hamster has a head and body length of between 85 and 120 mm (3.3–4.7 in) and a well-furred tail about one third as long as this. It weighs between 31 and 58 g (1.1–2.0 oz). [4] Its dental formula is 1.0.0.3 1.0.3.3. [5] It is a sandy brownish-grey colour above with whitish underparts, the white hairs often having gray bases.