Breeds of hamster (varieties of hamster)

Syrian hamsters are the most popular kind of hamster kept as a pet. They are sometimes also called "Golden hamster".

The Syrian hamster arrived in the United States in 1938. This is a larger breed of hamster, growing to be up to 5 or 6 inches. The Syrian hamster usually has golden fur and a white underbelly, but can also be found in other color variations, such as dark gray, cream color, and albino. The Syrian hamster can also have different coat textures, such Satin and Rex, and also come in a long-haired variety known as "Teddy Bear" hamsters. Recently, the "Black Bear Hamster" has become popular for its friendly nature, but it is also a Syrian Hamster.

Syrian hamsters have an average lifespan of two to three years. Remember, Syrian hamsters will fight with their own kind, so never keep more than one to a cage.

All other hamsters besides the Syrian, are considered "Dwarf hamsters". Dwarf hamsters are also very popular as pets, and as the name suggests, is a smaller breed of hamster. Dwarf hamsters can be more difficult to handle because they are very fast and active. There are various kinds of the Dwarf species. Common types of dwarf hamsters kept as pets are:

• Russian dwarf hamsters (aka Campbell's dwarf hamster)
• Roborovski's hamster
• Winter White Russian hamsters
• Chinese hamsters

These hamsters rarely get larger than 4 inches long. Dwarf hamsters have not been domesticated very long. They made their first appearance in the United States in the early 1980's. As long as you have a big enough cage, Dwarf hamsters tend to get along with their own species, although you may still witness them fight on occasion.

The Chinese hamsters are unique, because they have tails that they actually use, whereas other hamsters have much shorter tails.

There are many other different breeds of hamster from around the world, but they are generally not kept as pets. These hamsters include:

• Turkish Hamster (aka Brandt's Hamster or Azerbajaini Hamster)
• Georgian Hamster (aka Ciscaucasian Hamster)
• Romanian Hamster
• European Hamster (aka the Common Hamster or Black-Bellied Field Hamster
• Ladak Hamster
• Tibetan Hamster
• Long-Tailed Hamster
• Armenian Hamster (aka Migratory Grey Hamster, Gray Hamster)
• Sokolov's Hamster
• Mongolian Hamster
• Kazakh Hamster (aka Eversmann's Hamster)
• Gansu Hamster
• Greater Long-Tailed Hamster (aka Korean Hamster)