The Chickenless me thought since I have no chickens to talk about, why not talk about my Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters or Robos for short. I've done a lot of research on them before I convinced my parents (who I'm still living with) to let me have them, for my 18th birthday last year they gave me a bunch of money and said "Fine you can get them." Since I still have all this knowledge about Robos, I'll share it all with you.
Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are the smallest of all the hamsters at 4-5 cm on average, they're also the fastest, and live the longest at 3 1/2 to 4 years. They come from the Gobi Desert, a cold desert, which allows them to accept wide temperature ranges. Lt. Roborovski was the man who discovered the little desert creatures in 1894, but it wasn't until 1990 that they began part of the pet industry and even then the Robos did not make it into the US until 1998.
The Roborovski is also a very social hamster and normally does best in groups, but you'll sometimes find one that enjoys living alone. Now just because they are tiny, do NOT think you can put them in a small cage. These hamsters need space, they love running all over their cage along with running on their wheel, and they love to dig under their bedding. They need a descent size area to feel happy, they will need a bit more space when you have them in groups.
It hasn't been until descent, about the 2000s, that the Robos began to appear in more than their agouti (wild) coloring as breeders began to play with genetics. Roborovskis also happen to have the longest gestation period of all hamsters, 20-30 days. On average they will have 4-6 pups per litter, though litters numbering up to 10 have been reported. Unlike other hamsters, the male will usually help out with raising the pups; like I said earlier Robos are very social creatures. But like all rodents they mature pretty fast and will normally be sexually mature at about 5 weeks, it's recommended to separate the pups from mom at 4 weeks of age.
I currently own two Roborovskis myself, one white/platinum and the other agouti. The white colored one, Charlotte, is about a year and a month old while the agouti, Scarlett, is about 7 months old. I have them in a 29 gallon tank with a locking screen top, I prefer tanks over cages for hamsters as you can see them better in the tanks and the tanks are easier to clean. Charlotte and Scarlett has such good personality, I think they'd be great mothers. But alas I'm forbidden to breed them while I'm still living in my parents' house, much the same as I'm forbidden in getting chickens. Zim, my black cat, really enjoys watching them; and I think the hamsters are amused by his actions. They will interact through the glass; one of the hamsters will come up to the glass and place their front paws on it while looking out and Zim will put a paw on his side of the glass, overtop theirs. I toss Zim out when I clean the hamster tank, which he doesn't like being locked out of his room, and put the hamsters in their exercise balls. Zim will paw at the door, crying, and the hamsters will begin running into the door repeatedly as if to mock him.
Here's some pictures of my Robos, I don't have too many as my camera has been mean to me. The cat in one of the pictures is Zim.
Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are the smallest of all the hamsters at 4-5 cm on average, they're also the fastest, and live the longest at 3 1/2 to 4 years. They come from the Gobi Desert, a cold desert, which allows them to accept wide temperature ranges. Lt. Roborovski was the man who discovered the little desert creatures in 1894, but it wasn't until 1990 that they began part of the pet industry and even then the Robos did not make it into the US until 1998.
The Roborovski is also a very social hamster and normally does best in groups, but you'll sometimes find one that enjoys living alone. Now just because they are tiny, do NOT think you can put them in a small cage. These hamsters need space, they love running all over their cage along with running on their wheel, and they love to dig under their bedding. They need a descent size area to feel happy, they will need a bit more space when you have them in groups.
It hasn't been until descent, about the 2000s, that the Robos began to appear in more than their agouti (wild) coloring as breeders began to play with genetics. Roborovskis also happen to have the longest gestation period of all hamsters, 20-30 days. On average they will have 4-6 pups per litter, though litters numbering up to 10 have been reported. Unlike other hamsters, the male will usually help out with raising the pups; like I said earlier Robos are very social creatures. But like all rodents they mature pretty fast and will normally be sexually mature at about 5 weeks, it's recommended to separate the pups from mom at 4 weeks of age.
I currently own two Roborovskis myself, one white/platinum and the other agouti. The white colored one, Charlotte, is about a year and a month old while the agouti, Scarlett, is about 7 months old. I have them in a 29 gallon tank with a locking screen top, I prefer tanks over cages for hamsters as you can see them better in the tanks and the tanks are easier to clean. Charlotte and Scarlett has such good personality, I think they'd be great mothers. But alas I'm forbidden to breed them while I'm still living in my parents' house, much the same as I'm forbidden in getting chickens. Zim, my black cat, really enjoys watching them; and I think the hamsters are amused by his actions. They will interact through the glass; one of the hamsters will come up to the glass and place their front paws on it while looking out and Zim will put a paw on his side of the glass, overtop theirs. I toss Zim out when I clean the hamster tank, which he doesn't like being locked out of his room, and put the hamsters in their exercise balls. Zim will paw at the door, crying, and the hamsters will begin running into the door repeatedly as if to mock him.
Here's some pictures of my Robos, I don't have too many as my camera has been mean to me. The cat in one of the pictures is Zim.
