There are many different types of hamsters in the wild, but only five are commonly kept as pets. There are many ways to distinguish breeds, but there are some traits that all hamsters, regardless of type, share. The typical lifespan of a hamster is less than about 1000 days or 3 years, and male hamsters live a little longer than females.
All hamsters have cheek pouches that they use to carry food or pups when in danger. Although the location of the smell gland is different depending on the type of hamster, it is also present in all hamsters.
After about 6-8 weeks, all hamsters reach reproductive age and the gestation period is about 15 days. A litter size is usually 6-8. As you know, hamsters are very susceptible to stress, especially young mothers. When this happens, it is quite rare for new mothers to eat their newborn pups, so new hamster mothers should try to keep them as stress-free as possible.
One of the most popular pet hamster breeds, the Syrian hamster is also known as the teddy bear hamster, fancy hamster and golden hamster. Syrian hamsters measure about 7 inches in overall length, with females slightly longer than males.
If you buy Syrian hamsters from a pet store, you will see numerous young Syrian hamsters being kept in the same cages. This is deceptive as Syrian hamsters are very territorial and will fight to death alongside other hamsters in the cage. The only reason Syrian hamsters in pet stores don't fight at the time of purchase is that they don't show territorial characteristics until around six weeks of age. After that, one Syrian hamster per cage is standard!
Syrian hamsters can be kept longer than dwarf hamsters because they are larger and do not tire quickly. Another interesting fact about Syrian hamsters is that despite their common name, they exist in over 40 different colors. This is made possible by today's modern breeding processes that allow for a variety of colors and fur lengths.
As with all other hamster breeds, most Syrian hamsters do not require grooming. The long-haired Syrian hamster is the only exception. In this scenario, you can use a basic toothbrush to remove the fur entangled bedding material.