Hamsters: The Differences Between Dwarf and Syrian Hamsters

The most common type of hamster is the Syrian or Teddy Bear hamster, as they are more commonly referred to. Syrian hamsters are anywhere from 5-8 inches long and you will find them in long haired, short haired, multi colored or a solid color. There are so many types and colors of Syrian hamsters, picking just one may be your only problem.

Most female Syrian hamsters are slightly larger than the males, but this is not always the case. Female Syrian hamsters also are smellier than their male counterparts. They give off a sometimes very musky odor and you may have to clean their cages more often to keep the odor down. Both male and female Syrian hamsters are solitary creatures and should be housed alone, one to each cage. If more than one Syrian hamster is in a cage they may fight to the death, they are very territorial.

Dwarf hamsters are about 4 inches long and are quite social animals. They can live together; in fact it is recommended that they be kept in pairs in their cages. There are four different types of dwarf hamsters, the Chinese, Winter White, Campbell's and Roborovskiis.

Most Dwarf hamsters are easily kept as pets, but most are very fast and are easily lost if owners do not take precautions to prevent escapes. Dwarf hamsters are very good at squeezing through the tiniest of holes you would never think they could fit through.

Syrian hamsters life spans are anywhere from 2-5 years while Dwarf hamsters are shorter, just 2-3 years but some dwarves have been known to live as long as 4 years with great care from their owners.

Both Syrians and Dwarf hamsters have pouches in their mouths, where they will stuff their pouches to take food back to their nests or hide it in their favorite spot. Both Syrian and Dwarf hamsters eat the same types of food. Dwarf hamsters are more prone to biting, but handling your hamster often is a sure way to keep them tame. Dwarf hamsters are different in that if they are not handled by their humans they will not like to be handled after a while and try to bite the human that dares to stick their hand in its cage. Most Syrian hamsters are not like this and once they are used to being held will not bite unless someone mishandles them or hurts them.

Another difference between the two is the fact that Dwarf hamsters will remain active throughout the day, taking naps and getting back up to play. Syrian hamsters will sleep all day as they are nocturnal and only get up in the evening.

The type of toys you get will depend on the type of hamster you have. Smaller toys are meant for the Dwarf hamsters while the larger plastic tubes can be used for Syrian hamsters. There are also different sizes of exercise wheels, make sure not to get an exercise wheel that is too small for your hamster as they can easily get hurt if the wheel is too small.