One of the most popular little pets is the dwarf hamster. These furry little balls are tiny and social.
Young children may benefit from having a hamster as a pet since they can learn responsibility by caring for lesser pet obligations like cage cleaning and feeding before moving on to a larger one, like a dog or cat.
You are in the right place for those who want to know more about their physical attributes. In this article, we have discussed more on what a dwarf hamster is so you can see whether it’s the kind of pet fit for you.
Dwarf Hamster
Dwarf hamsters are tiny animals with thick bodies, short legs, and tails. Typically, they are between two and three inches long; however, some may be shorter. There are ten distinct types of dwarf hamsters. Seven are members of the genus Cricetulus, and the remaining three are Phodopus.
Genus Cricetulus
- Tibetan dwarf hamster
- Grey dwarf hamster
- Chinese dwarf hamster
- Long-tailed dwarf hamster
- Kam dwarf hamster
- Sokolov’s dwarf hamster
Physical Attributes
Tibetan Dwarf Hamster
Including its tail, the total length of a Tibetan dwarf hamster is roughly 103 mm, which is smaller than the average hamster. The head and neck are a light sandy ochre, whereas the rest of the body is a uniform shade ochre. White may be seen on the underbelly and the tops of the feet.
The ears are a dark brown than the rest of the body, with white hairs at their base and a light rim at the tip. The tail is two-toned, with a dark top and a white underside.
Grey Dwarf Hamster
The head and body length of the gray dwarf hamster measures between 85 and 120 millimeters, and it has a well-furred tail about one-third as long. Its weight ranges from 31 to 58 grams.
The creature’s top side is sandy brownish-gray, while the underparts are white; the white hairs mostly have gray bases. The skull is broad and flat, and the rostrum is relatively narrow. The ears are enormous.
Chinese Dwarf Hamster
The Chinese striped hamster weighs 20–35 g and has a head-and-body length of 72–116 mm and a tail length of 15–26 mm. The nose is small, the eyes wide apart, and the ears clean and rounded, blackish-edged with white.
The lower side is light greyish-brown with a small spine-stripe of black. Grey underparts with white-tipped hairs. 30% of the head-body length is the tail.
Long-Tailed Dwarf Hamster
The total length of the long-tailed dwarf hamster, including the head and body, ranges from 85 and 135 mm, and its tail is at least a third as long. The weight ranges from 15 g to 50 g. The dorsal fur might be a dark greyish brown or a pale sandy brown.
Hairs on the underbelly are black at the base, lighter in color toward the shaft, and white at the tips. A distinct midline line separates the ventral and dorsal colorings on the body.
The tops of the feet are white, and the ears are black with pale rims. The top of the tail is black, while the base of it is white.
Kam Dwarf Hamster
The head-and-body length of the Kam dwarf hamster is around 88 and 112 mm, while the tail length is about 51 and 64 mm. The dorsal hair is dark greyish-brown, rarely speckled or striped with black, while the underbelly is grayish-white, with a wave-like distinction between the two colors.
The tail is thick and densely coated with guard hairs; it has a black stripe at the apex and is generally white, with a white terminal.
Sokolov’s Dwarf Hamster
It has grey fur with a brown-yellow tint. A black stripe is visible from the rear of the creature’s neck to the bottom of its tail. This stripe is more noticeable on younger animals and diminishes as the animal ages. Its legs are white and have upwards curled toes.
Its ears are the identical hue as its fur and include a dark grey patch in the center. Its head-body length ranges from 77 to 114 millimeters, its tail length from 18 to 32 millimeters, and its ear length from 13 to 19 millimeters. The typical size of the skull is between 23 and 26 millimeters.
Genus Phodopus
- Campbell’s dwarf hamster
- Roborovski hamster
- Djungarian hamster
Physical Attributes
Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster
The size of Campbell’s dwarf hamster’s head and body length average is 80 mm, an average rear foot length of 13.5 mm, and a tail length of 5 mm. In confinement, they are proportionately more significant than in the wild since modern pet food and fruits give more nutrients than natural foods.
The hair on the cheeks and lips is white, while the other facial fur is brown or grey.
A black and thin dorsal stripe extends from the neck to approximately 2.5 cm above the tail. The feet and hands are white to ensure the animal’s warmth in regions with colder weather, such as Mongolia.
Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Compared to other hamster species, such as the Djungarian hamster and the Campbell’s dwarf hamster, the Roborovski hamster stands apart due to its smaller size, sandy hair coloring, and absence of a dorsal stripe.
The neurocranium is more rounded when seen in profile than in Phodopus campbelli or Phodopus sungorus. Additionally, the cusps of the lower molars are directly opposite one another rather than being alternated, as in the other members of the genus.
Djungarian Dwarf Hamsters
Djungarian hamsters are generally half the size and form of Syrian hamsters. Typical characteristics include a strong, dark brown dorsal stripe and fuzzy feet. As winter approaches and the days get shorter, the black fur of Djungarian hamsters is nearly entirely replaced by white hair.
Djungarian hamsters may be pearl, sapphire pearl, sapphire, and marbled. Mandarin, argente, blue, yellow-blue fawn, brown, camel, merle, cream, and numerous are more colorations.
Wrapping Up
The dwarf hamster derives its name from its diminutive size; nonetheless, the species-specific appearance varies.
Roborovski dwarf hamsters are the smallest at 1.5 to 2 inches in length. The Chinese dwarf hamster, at four inches in length, is the most giant subspecies, but he is theoretically not a real dwarf since he may grow more significant.
