Dwarf Winter Hamster - Phodopus sungoris sungoris

Description

The Dwarf Winter White Russian originates from Eastern Kazakhastan and South West Siberia where it lives amongst grassy steppes.
The Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster is the least common of the two sub-species of Dwarf Russian Hamster kept as pets and they are rarely seen in pet shops. The Dwarf Winter White Russian is sometimes also known as the Siberian or Djungarian Hamster. It is more compact in shape than the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster and has more prominent eyes and a roman nose. The Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster is approximately 8-10cm in length with a plump bullet shaped body. 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 animal'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 1?-2 years although they can live longer.






Category
Rodents