This page introduces the 5 most popular species of hamsters and the color variations with many photos.
If you want to know what kind of popular hamsters you can keep as pets,
I think this article will be useful for those who want to know about what kind of popular hamsters and the color variation you can keep as pets.
Basic Information about Hamster
Hamsters are a generic name for animals belonging to the rodent family and subfamily of rodents.
They are classified into 7 families, totaling 18 species.
The Difference between Hamster and Mouse
Hamsters and mice are both members of the rodent family, but hamsters are classified in the subfamily “rodents” while mice are in the subfamily “gerbils”.
Unlike mice, hamsters have cheek pouches and a short tail.
The 5 Most Popular Hamster species
Syrian(Golden) Hamster
| Name | Syrian Hamster, Golden Hamster |
| Genus | Mesocricetus |
| Habitat | Syria, Southern Turkey |
| Length | 15 – 20㎝ |
Syrian hamsters are popular because of their calm and friendly nature, making them easy to keep as pets.
They are commonly called “Syrian hamsters” since they were discovered in Syria in 1930.
The common coat color is a mix of orange and white, which is called “normal,” but there are Syrian hamsters with a variety of coat colors due to breeding efforts.
In recent years, cream-colored fur has become very popular, and is often seen in pet stores in Japan.
Djungarian Hamster
| Name | Djungarian hamster, Siberian hamster, Winter White dwarf hamster, Striped Desert Hamster (summer/winter) |
| Genus | Phodopus |
| Habitat | Siberia, Kazakhstan, China |
| Length | 6 – 12㎝ |
Djungarian hamsters are a species that originally inhabited cold regions, so their limbs are covered with fur.
Generally, they have gray fur with a black line pattern on their backs, but breeders have created a wide variety of Djungarian hamsters with different coat colors.
Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster
| Name | Campbell’s dwarf hamster |
| Genus | Phodopus |
| Habitat | China, Russia, Kazakhstan |
| Length | 7 – 13㎝ |
The Campbell’s hamster is very similar in appearance to the Djungarian hamster.
The difference between them is that the Campbell’s is slightly larger and has a wider variety of coat colors.
Because they are a minor breed and many people are unfamiliar with them, many Japanese pet stores actually sell Campbell’s hamsters under the name Djungarian hamsters.
The are tend to be mischievous, territorial, and have a rough temperament, and it takes time for them to become fond of their owners.
They often bite their owners’ hands.
Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
| Name | Roborovski Dwarf hamster |
| Genus | Phodopus |
| Habitat | Russia, Kazakhstan |
| Length | 7 – 10㎝ |
The Roborovski hamster is the smallest of the hamsters and is characterized by a white eyebrow-like pattern over its eyes.
They are often timid and wary, and do not like to interact with humans.
They are less territorial than other types of hamsters, so it is possible to keep several hamsters in the same cage as pets.
Chinese hamster
| Name | Chinese hamster, Striped dwarf hamster, Chinese striped hamster |
| Genus | Cricetulus |
| Habitat | China, Mongolia |
| Length | 8 – 13㎝ |
Chinese hamsters are characterized by their large eyes.
They also have a slender body shape and a long tail, making them look more mouse-like than other hamsters.
They’re tend to be docile, but they move very quickly.
They are rarely seen in Japanese pet stores, and not many people keep them.
