What Type of Hamster is Best For You?

Hamsters belong to the Cricetinae subfamily of the rodent family. They have been on this planet for more than 11 million years and originate from Central Europe, Asia and North Africa. Scientists have identified 18 different species, although only 5 types are typically seen as pets (the other 13 types live in the wild).

Syrian hamsters (also known as golden hamsters, but they actually come in many different colors) are the largest and most common of the pet hamsters. These hamsters do best when they are housed alone, since they are known to fight with each other. Because of their larger size, they can tolerate more handling than the other types.

Chinese hamsters look more like their rat cousins that the other types of hamsters, because they have long, thin bodies and longish tails. It is best to house them separately due to their territorial natures, and to separate the males and females unless you are deliberately breeding them.

Roborovski hamsters are dwarf-sized with a short tail. They are the smallest of the pet hamsters and can live together in the same cage, as long as the colonies are the same sex. Do not mix males and females in the same living space. These hamsters can easily over breed, and will eat their young if their living quarters become overcrowded. Because of their small size, agility and speed they are hard to catch if they escape. For this reason, they are not recommended as pets for small children. But they do like to be active, so they need lots of tubes and toys to keep them occupied, and they are fun to watch as they play among their toys.

Dwarf Campbell Russian hamsters are the most common of the dwarf hamsters. They are social enough to be housed together in pair of the same sex (unless you are purposely breeding them). Unlike the other breeds, the males will help the females raise their young. But he will also quickly breed again with the female after she has given birth, so it's wise to separate them after she have given birth.

Winter white Russian dwarf hamsters are also known as Siberian hamsters. Their grey coats turn white during the short days of the winter months. They make better pets for older kids than for young ones because they don't like to be held and are likely to bite if they are picked up.

Emily Brock is a hamster enthusiast and author. She owns and maintains Hamster Life Answers.