"Breed" is a widely used phrase and is often misused. The Syrian hamster Mesocricetus auratus is divided into three breeds: panda bears, teddy bears and black bears.
Before we get into hamsters, let's see how this works in dogs. My relatives had a Schnauzer, and I had a Chihuahua. We have a variety of dog breeds. To some extent, dogs have varied shapes, appearances, and different personalities. My cousin and my pet were arguably dogs. There was no mistaking it for a cat or a wolf. Both creatures growled, had excellent hearing, and had little tolerance for outsiders. They were both classified as Canis lupussimilaris in scientific terms.
Now let's go back to the hamster. What is the difference between a panda bear hamster and a teddy bear hamster owned by friend Juan and a black bear hamster owned by another friend Alexandra? Panda bear hamsters have black and white fur, while teddy bear hamsters have brown hair and black bear hamsters have black fur. They can be long-haired, short-haired or even rex-like (meaning they have curly hair). Your hamster, like your friend, is a diverse breed. Nevertheless, you all have the same hamster species: Mesocricetus auratus, also known as the Syrian hamster.
This means that although your hamster looks different from Juan's hamster and they both look different from Alexandra's hamster, they are all the same kind of animal. They like human interaction, but other hamsters do not, and sleep most of the day. Teddy bear hamsters, panda bear hamsters and black bear hamsters are all members of the species Mesocricetus auratus.
So all of you can call your hamster a Syrian hamster, and you would be correct.
You might be wondering what happened to Chris, another friend who owns a Robo hamster. Are there any Syrians? On the other hand, this hamster prefers to be close to other robohamsters and moves too fast to recognize human interaction. So, what are your thoughts? Does it sound like a Syrian hamster? At least. Roborovski hamsters are different from normal hamsters. This animal belongs to a different genus as well as a separate species. (The Syrian hamster is a member of the genus Mesocricetus, whereas the Roborovski hamster is a member of the genus Phodopus.)
You may ask why this is important. This is true because different hamster species have different requirements to keep as pets. As we said before, robohamsters love being close to other robohamsters, but when two Syrians are together they will often fight to the death of one. Knowing your own species and breed is also important if you want to take your hamster to a hamster show. Also, if someone in your family aspires to be a scientist, you should know that scientists use certain terms to communicate with each other. Finally, it's fantastic to have a better understanding of the distinction between breeds and species than the vast majority of Homo sapiens (humans)!