Campbells Dwarf Hamsters - The Little Dog of the Hamster World
Campbells Dwarf Hamsters are currently the most common type of dwarf hamster on the pet market. Campbells Dwarf Hamsters often get a bad rap for biting, but this is often due to the different needs and handling style preferred by Campbells Hamsters vs. There are a variety of color mutations among the Campbells hamster including the tra
ditional markings of the brown and grey campbells hamster, albino, black eyed whites, greys, fawns and a variety of mottled colors. Hamster History - The Origins of the Campbells Dwarf Hamster
The wild Campbells Russian Dwarf Hamster was originally discovered in 1902 in Tuva by W.C. Campbell, and are also native to the steppes and semi-arid areas of Central Asia, the Altay Mountains and provinces of Heilungkiang and Hebei in Northeastern China. By 1968, researchers were able to successfully breed Campbells in captivity in the United Kingdom and were used as laboratory animals. In 1973, a pair of breeding dwarf hamsters was obtained from the London Zoo by a member of a United Kingdom hamster fanciers group and by the 1980's, they were becoming more widely available on the pet market. Just The Facts - Campbells in a Nutshell
Campbells Dwarf Hamsters live on average for 1.5 to 2 years, although some hamsters have lived as long as four years. They reach adult size at 10-12cm in body length with males being larger on average. Domesticated Campbells hamsters generally display nocturnal (awake at night, sleeping during the day) behavior or crepuscular (awake around dawn and twilight, sleeping during the day and night) behavior, and are moderately adaptive to the schedule of their human family. Campbells dwarf hamsters are omnivores and their teeth grow throughout their entire lives. Campbells Dwarf Hamsters can live socially with other dwarf hamsters of the same gender if they are raised together from the same litter or introduced at a very young age, although not all Campbells enjoy living with other hamsters. It is not recommended to introduce adult hamsters. Female Hamsters come into heat every 4 days and generally have a 18-21 day gestation period. While the average litter is about 8 hamsters, litters of over 15 have been reported. Campbells Dwarf Hamsters have been on the pet market for awhile, and they come in a variety of color mutations. The original color of the Campbells Dwarf Hamster is brownish grey with a lighter belly and a dark dorsal stripe. Campbells Dwarf Hamsters come in a variety of colors and will fall into one of three catagories: 1) "Agouti" colors that show the wild markings of a lighter belly and dorsal stripes, 2) "Self" colors where the hamster is a solid color all over and 3) "Broken Color" where the hamster has either a collar, mottled coloration or spots. Colors include: Black, Argente, Blue Argente, Agouti, Platnium, Blue, Dove, Opal, Chocolate and Creme. Hamster Breed Length Weight
Syrian Hamster 5-7 in (13-18 cm) 5-6 oz (145-170 g)
Roborovski Hamster 1.8-2 in (4.5-5 cm) 0.7-0.8 oz (20-25 g)
Dwarf Campell’s Russian Hamster 2-4 in (5-10 cm) 1.4-2 oz (40-60 g)
Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster 2.7-3.5 in (6.8-9 cm) 2.5-3.2 oz (70-90 g)
Chinese Hamster 3.2-5 in (5-13 cm) 1-1.6 oz (30-45 g)
