Roborovski
Roborovski Hamsters
The Roborovski is the smallest dwarf hamster, and combined with their speed and agility, this makes them very difficult to handle.
Appearance | Size | Expected Life Span | Care
Appearance
Roborovski dwarf hamsters, also known as desert hamsters, are a sandy-brown color with a white belly and white marks over their eyes. There is also another color variation; the white-faced Roborovski, or husky Roborovski, which has a completely white face.
Size
Adult Roborovski dwarf hamsters have a slender body and are only about 2 inches in length, making them the smallest of all the pet hamster species. They are also the fastest and most lively, which can make them very hard to handle, particularly for children.
Expected Life Span
A Roborovski dwarf hamster can be expected to live for between 3 and 3.5 years. This gives it the longest expected life of any of the dwarf hamster species.
Care
Roborovski dwarf hamsters are generally tame and rarely nip. However they are particularly nervous and, combined with their very small size and extremely lively nature, this makes them unsuitable for young children who will want to play with them, as they could easily escape when handled. It is recommended that they are only handled in an area where they will be easy to catch if they escape, such as over a large box.
Despite their small size, they are extremely active. They should therefore be housed in as large a habitat as possible to give them the space they need to prevent boredom. A solid sided cage or an aquarium would be the most suitable choice of housing as they are small enough to squeeze through the bars of most wire hamster cages.
They are generally social and so ideally they should be kept in same-sex pairs or small groups, but it is best to introduce them at a young age.
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