Syrian Hamster Facts
Hamsters were first discovered in Syria, but are native to many parts of the world. The name they go by today was taken from the German word "hamstern," which means "hoard," because that is exactly what they do with extra food.
The most common type of hamster to be kept as a pet is the Syrian hamster. The Syrian hamster is a solitary animal, which is where it most prominently differs to the dwarf pet hamsters. If they live in groups past approximately 8 to 10 weeks old they will start to fight in a very serious way, so young hamsters must be separated at that age and rehomed in different cages.
Syrian hamsters make great pets for children. They are simple to take care of and, due to their large size, are easy to handle. Also unlike some of the dwarf hamsters, Syrians remain tame even after long periods of not being handled. Syrians can be very friendly creatures to humans and love to cuddle and explore. Like with all hamsters they are nocturnal and so are asleep for most of the day. Syrians usually live to the age of 2 1/2 to 3 years old.
Syrian hamsters come in a variety of colours and coat types. Here at Hamsterdam we specialise in the long-haired variety, as we find them more docile and placid. In the descriptions of our hamsters you may come across the following terms:
Agouti Colour
An agouti colour means the hamster will have an undercoat colour different to the top coat colour, and also have crescents, cheek flashes and (often) ticking. The hairs are banded with darker and lighter colours. Agouti colours include cinnamon, dark golden, silver grey, lilac, yellow.
Self Colour
Self refers to the fact that the animal is the same colour all over, lacking the classic agouti markings and undercoat. Self colours include black, chocolate, black-eyed cream, sable, white.
