Russian Dwarf Hamster
The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster originates from Central Asia, Northern Russia, Mongolia and North China where it lives in sand dunes. It has been kept in the UK since 1963 and was introduced to the pet market in the UK in the 1970s. The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster (sometimes known as the Djungarian Hamster and often incorrectly labelled the Siberian Hamster in pet shops) is the more common than the other sub-species of Dwarf Russian Hamster, the Dwarf Winter White Russian (Siberian) Hamster, and is often seen in pet shops in many countries today.
The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is approximately 10-12cm in length when full grown, with males being larger than females. The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster has a plump rounded body and expandable cheekpouches wihch they do not use as much as the Syrian. They sometimes give of an oil similar to that smelt on ducks. They are sociable so can live in groups if introduced young. The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is nocturnal but can be quite active for short periods during the day. It makes a good pet for, but it should be avoided if you are buting this for a child. The Russian Dwarf Hamster can also be less tolerant of clumsy handling than the bigger Syrian Hamster and more prone to nip when annoyed. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some hamster cages and so cages designed for mice, glass or plastic aquariums make more suitable cages. The average lifespan of the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is 1-2 years.

Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
The Roborovski is not widely kept as a pet because it is not as easy to handle as other species of Dwarf Hamsters. The Roborovski hamster is extremely lively and very fast but they are of very good temperament and rarely nip. They are rarely seen in pet shops but specialist hamster breeders in many countries do keep the Roborovski hamster. The Roborovski is the smallest of the hamsters kept as pets being only around 4-5 cm in size. The Roborovski is golden-orange in colour with a white belly and has distinctive white 'eyebrows' which make them very appealing. Because they are hard to hol they are not reccomended for children. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some of the hamster cages and mice cages sold in pet shops and so are best kept in glass or plastic tanks. The Roborovski Hamster is sociable and will live with others of its own kind in single or mixed sex groups provided that hamsters are introduced at a young age. The Roborovski Hamster is nocturnal but can be quite active for short periods during the day. It is rather shy. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some hamster cages, therefore glass or plastic tamks are best. The average lifespan of the Roborovski Hamster is 3-3ö years

Chinese Hamster
The Chinese Hamster originates from Northern China and Mongolia and belongs to a group known as Rat-like hamsters. The Chinese hamster has been kept in the UK since 1919 and was used in laboratories. Interest in the Chinese as a pet grew in the 1970s when the Russian hamster was introduced to the pet market. The Chinese Hamster is not as widely kept as a pet as the Russian Hamsters and this is probably due to their mouselike appearance and the fact that fewer numbers exist due to some difficulties in breeding them. The Chinese Hamster has a slender mouselike body which is approximately 10-12cm in length with males being larger than females. The males have a large scrotal sac. The Chinese Hamster has expandable cheekpouches. The Chinese Hamster is sociable and will live with others of its own kind in single or mixed sex groups provided that hamsters are introduced at a young age. However, within breeding groups the females can become very aggressive towards the males when pregnant and so it is important that they are housed in a large cage with many hiding places where the males can seek refuge. The Chinese Hamster is nocturnal but can be quite active for short periods during the day. It is extremely timid and can be fast moving and they are very good climbers. The Chinese Hamster makes a good pet although because it is fast moving can be difficult to catch but once caught they are a pleasure to handle. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some hamster cages and so cages designed for mice, glass or plastic aquariums make more suitable cages. The average lifespan of the Chinese Hamster is 2-3 years .

Winter White Russian (Siberian) Dwarf
The Dwarf Winter White Russian originates from Eastern Kazakhastan and South West Siberia where it lives amongst grassy steppes. It was introduced into the UK pet market in 1978 and can be found on the pet market in other countries. The Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster is the least common of the two sub-species of Dwarf Russian Hamster kept as pets and is therefore rarely seen in pet shops. The Dwarf Winter White Russian is sometimes also known as the Siberian Hamster. It is more compact in shape than the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster and has more prominent eyes, a roman nose and a curved spine giving it a bullet shaped body. The Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster is approximately 8-10cm in length when full grown with males being larger than females. It has expandable cheekpouches. The Dwarf Winter White Russian is so called because of its tendency to turn white in the winter. This is due to the shorter daylight hours and the hamster's coat may become lighter or have white patches or become almost completely white. Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamsters do not normally breed when in their winter white coat. The Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster is sociable and will live with others of its own kind in single or mixed sex groups provided that hamsters are introduced at a young age. The Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster is nocturnal but can be quite active for short periods during the day. It makes a good pet although because of its small size it can be difficult for small children to handle. The Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster can also be less tolerant of clumsy handling than the bigger Syrian Hamster but is generally nice natured. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some hamster cages and so cages designed for mice, glass or plastic aquariums make more suitable cages. The average lifespan of the Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster is 1ö-2 years.

Information From: