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Siberian Hamsters get their names from their origins of Siberia, a part of Northeast Asia in the grand country of Russia. They come from the cold winters and the harsh environment and often breed to multiply and augment the power and might of their kin. Siberian Hamsters are pure breeds. This means, you cannot find them easily in pet stores, as there are other variations of Dwarf Hamsters that closely resemble Siberian Hamsters but are not pure in breed. These little creatures are mysterious, pure and unique.
Characteristics & Traits
Siberian Hamsters are on the smaller side of the fluff world. A fully mature Siberian Hamster is about half the size of a regular common hamster, but they have the same amount of strength and energy. These hamsters are nocturnal, which means that they sleep during the day and stay active during the night. And by active, we mean very active. Siberian’s really enjoy playing and running around in a world that is constantly changing and constantly expanding. Siberian Hamsters are furry, hyperactive and extremely adorable.
Personality & Behavior
Siberian Hamsters are friendly and nice if treated properly. If you make any wrong movements and make your hamster feel threatened, he will attack to defend itself. Siberian Hamsters can become really aggressive if they are not treated properly, since they go back to their roots and adopt a behaviour that they would usually have in the wild to keep predators away. If trained and treated well, these hamsters are some of the friendliest and cuddliest breeds. This duality entails a bit more advanced treatment than the common hamster, but with great patience and understanding comes a high reward.
Siberian Hamsters are highly active. They’re always running, fidgeting, exploring and just going wild. If paired with opposite sex hamsters, Siberian breeds will multiply quickly. If you don’t want to have many of these little fluffs, avoid pairing male and female hamsters together and keep only same-sex hamsters in the same cage. Pairing them in couples could also provoke alternations and potential conflict.
Handling & Care
The care of these hamsters isn’t too different from other breeds. Although they are pure and wild, Siberian Hamsters don’t really need a lot of special care. Other than close, tight cages that are spacious and provide comfort, a nice bedding and lots of food and water, Siberian’s don’t need much else. It is important however to keep in mind that these hamsters aren’t used to being held. It is possible that they will always try to escape even when holding them in your hands. Be mindful of their frantic, wild behaviour and always keep them safe and sound.
Health & Complications
Siberian hamsters are mostly resilient and don’t suffer many health issues, but as any pure breed, they are prone to develop certain complications. One of the conditions that they are predisposed to is Wet Tail, a heart-breakingly common disease specially in baby hamsters that causes their digestive tracts to work poorly. Wet tail is usually caused by stress and it results in watery diarrhea and foul smelling, constantly wet tail, given its name.
This breed of hamster is also prone to develop different types of skin issues, since they are used to constant cold and breezy, cool weather. Taking them from their wild environment and caging them in places that are too warm or too small can cause their skin to develop rashes and other related conditions to skin and fur.
Siberian Hamsters surely make great pets. A bit more complex than the usual common hamster, but just as adorable and lovable. If you appreciate this article about Siberian Hamsters and you wish to learn about all the different hamster breeds, you may be interested in reading about Chinese Hamsters too!
If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about Campbell Hamsters and Long Haired Syrian Hamsters.
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