Hamster Breeds Overview

1 Dwarf Hamsters

Named for small size:

Djungarian (Russian dwarf, also ‘three-lined’): very small, about 10 cm body and a 2 to 3 cm tail; fur may turn white in winter (rare, normal).

Campbell’s (also ‘one-lined’): a bit larger, 30 to 50 g; a thin black line down the back, many colors; more irritable, harder to keep.

Roborovski: gray-brown, now many colors; about 5 cm; white brow spots above the eyes make it easy to recognize; longest-lived, about a year more than others.

2 Syrian Hamsters

The ‘bear’ types: Golden, Black Bear and so on. Larger, 12 to 15 cm, 100 to 150 g; common coat is yellow.

3 Others

Chinese hamster (striped-backed): from China, medium, 10 to 12 cm, longer tail; a major farm pest in China, rarely kept as a pet.

European (black-bellied) hamster: black belly fur; the world’s largest hamster, 20 to 24 cm.

North African fat-tailed gerbil: looks like a hamster but isn’t the same species; it stores food and water in its tail, unlike hamsters.

Pick a breed by your preference. Consult an online vet if you want to know more.