Polski
The Roborovski Dwarf Hamster is also called the desert dwarf hamster. This is because it does indeed naturally live in the (semi)deserts of Russia, China, Manchuria and Mongolia. The Roborovski is also the smallest and fastest dwarf hamster species.
Head-body length : up to 7 cm
Body weight : between 25 and 40 grams depending on body size
Life expectancy : 1.5 - 2 years
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters are crepuscular, which means they are most active in the evening and early morning. However, the animals sleep cyclically, i.e. a few hours of sleep alternate with a few hours of wakefulness, which means that these dwarf hamsters are also regularly awake during the day.
Tame and familiarize yourself with the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Always read carefully before you decide to get one or two Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters. They are very nice pets that are awake regularly, so they can also be seen during the day. This can be especially fun for children. Although the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster looks very cuddly, he does not always like to cuddle and he finds being picked up very scary, especially at first. Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are very fast, which makes them sometimes difficult to handle, especially for children. Because the animals do not see depth, they can run away from your hand if they are startled, so it is important when children handle the animals that there is always a parent present who can help and support.
A new resident should be approached calmly, especially during the first few months. The animal must first become familiar with its own enclosure and feel safe in it before it dares to approach people. Of course there are also daredevils who immediately walk up to you and are social, but most hamsters are a bit shy at first. Give the animal time and try to make contact calmly by talking to the Dwarf Hamster(s). Giving treats out of hand often works well to gain the animals' trust.
Tip! Roborovski Dwarf hamsters love dried amphipods
Housing of the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are social animals that can be kept together. The best combination is male/female, but then young will be born. Two males or two females can also be kept together, but make sure you are well informed about this because the animals can also get into a fight. So it is not said that keeping two Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters together always goes well.
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters need a spacious enclosure of at least 80 x 40 cm ( LICG ). A good enclosure gives the animals the opportunity to exhibit their natural behavior. In the wild, Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters build beautiful corridors and they would like to continue to do so in captivity. The Roborovski has a very simple tunnel system, it is actually a straight tunnel with a nest chamber at the end. The lining of the nest consists mainly of camel wool. The castle in the wild is located at a depth of about 1 meter and is between 50 - 100 cm long. The depth of the castle depends on the ambient temperature. As temperatures rise, the dwarf hamster will dig deeper underground to reach the cool earth, a kind of natural air conditioning.
Hamsterscaping is therefore very fun for Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters.
At our home this translates into a spacious enclosure with digging options and a sand part of at least 1/3 of the enclosure. A terrarium is the best choice thanks to its closed nature. It is important that a terrarium allows good ventilation, so preferably it has two grilles (top and bottom). This is especially important in summer when temperatures rise above 25°C.
A part of sand is important for the animals because they are desert dwellers, and that is of course the animals' natural environment. Chinchilla sand can be used for this. The disadvantage of Chinchilla sand is that no holes can be made in it, so the dwarf hamsters also need an area where they can dig comfortably in normal ground cover.
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters cannot tolerate high temperatures in combination with high humidity. They are desert dwellers by nature, so they are not used to high humidity. An optimal humidity for these animals is on average around 55%. A temperature between 20 - 24°C is recommended and a humidity below 70%. You can use a hygrometer to measure these values.
House for a Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are in luck! because almost all houses made for hamsters have a good size for this dwarf hamster species. Roborovski Dwarf hamsters are prey animals and do not like to walk around the enclosure openly, but if they occasionally come across a shelter they feel a lot safer. Our advice is therefore to have at least two houses for the hamster. A house where the dwarf hamster can sleep and another one where he can hide. At least one of the two houses must be larger so that the dwarf hamster can store its food supplies there. Not being able to put away food supplies can cause stress for the animals.
Exercise wheel for a Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
The hamster exercise wheel is a very important part of the design of the dwarf hamster enclosure. Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are active animals that like to run, often at night. This is because they naturally run a lot at night in search of food. So this is, as it were, in their DNA. In addition, scientific research has shown that running on an exercise wheel makes hamsters happy, that this promotes digestion and that the animals generally remain in good condition by running.
An exercise wheel for a Roborovski Dwarf Hamster must have a diameter of at least 20 cm and consist of a closed running surface.
It is wise to place several running wheels as the group grows to prevent the animals from fighting over the running wheel.
Ground cover for the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
An area of sand is important for the Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters. It is also important that the ground cover for Dwarf Hamsters is diggable, which means that they can make corridors and holes in it, which preferably remain standing. This can be achieved by choosing ground cover that is already diggable in itself or by mixing ground covers together so that they become diggable. Examples of excavable ground cover include Humus and Holenzand , but also Cotton & Cotton . A nice mix is, for example, the mix of Cotton & Hemp Fiber , Cotton & Wood Fiber or a mix of Wood Fiber , Hemp Fiber and Hay. Ground covers such as Back 2 Nature are not suitable because animals cannot dig in them. The ideal height of the digging part is between 15 and 20 cm.
Sand bath for Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters like to take a sand bath regularly. The ideal distribution of the enclosure for a Roborovski Dwarf Hamster is 1/3 sand and the rest a diggable bedding. Sand has a degreasing and therefore cooling effect. Because sand has a degreasing effect, it also has a drying effect. Animals with skin problems should therefore not be given a sand bath. If the sand dries out the skin too much, it can become itchy, causing the animals to bathe even more. It is therefore important to monitor the bathing behavior of the Dwarf Hamsters and to remove the sandbox if there are signs of skin problems (red spots, bald spots, scabs, wounds).
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters are nest builders
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters are real nest builders, they always need nesting material so that they can line their hole with it. Making a nest is therefore part of the natural behavior of a dwarf hamster. Therefore, always give him 15-25 grams of nesting material. In the wild, Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters collect camel fur to line their nests.
Nesting material must be nice and soft, absorb moisture and have fragile fibers so that the animals cannot become entangled in it. Materials such as cotton, hemp, toilet paper and hay are ideal.
Roborovski Dwarf Hamster food
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters are granivores (seed eaters). The food of Rovorovski Dwarf Hamsters consists mainly of seeds and a little bit of vegetable food in the form of herbs , but also animal proteins. Roborovski Dwarf hamsters catch small insects in the wild, so it is good if their diet also contains a little bit of animal protein.
Of all Dwarf Hamster species, the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster has the smallest need for animal protein . They really eat less animal protein compared to the Russian Dwarf Hamster, for example.
Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters carry their hamster food in their cheek pouches. What you see is that the Dwarf hamster stuffs his food in his cheek pouches and quickly takes it to his house or pantry. Carrying food in the cheek pouches is also called "hoarding". Thanks to the cheek pouch muscle, the food is held in the cheek pouch and the hamster can transport it safely and quickly.
Dental formula: 1013/1013 (Ratio of incisors at the top - bottom = 1: 2-3) Incisors continue to grow
Molars do not continue to grow: The large cheek pouches that extend to the shoulder blades are a flexible protrusion of the buccal mucosa
Stomach: consists of two chambers: the anterior stomach and the glandular stomach
Small cecum: with limited ability to process crude fibers. Protein-rich cecal droppings are only eaten in case of food shortage
The percentage of crude fiber in the diet should be a maximum of 10% for optimal digestibility and absorption of the diet.
Gnawing material for Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters have a natural need to gnaw. This is because Dwarf hamsters are rodents and have continuously growing incisors. It is therefore necessary that they can gnaw on something to wear down the teeth. If dwarf hamsters do not have enough opportunities to wear down their teeth, the teeth may become too long or grow crooked, with all the consequences that entails.
Gnawing wood is used by rodents to wear down their teeth. Because rodents' teeth are always growing, they need to be gnawed regularly so that they do not grow too long and crooked.
Some Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters gnaw wood very actively and others not at all. On the one hand it is a matter of taste, but on the other hand it is a matter of need. If a Dwarf hamster has no need to gnaw because its teeth are kept at their length through food, hay or other nibbles, it will gnaw less on wood. It is good to always provide natural gnawing wood so that the animals can always gnaw when they need to gnaw.
Dental problems in Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters
If you notice that your dwarf hamster is very enthusiastic about taking the food, but then does not eat it, there may be something wrong with its teeth. Drooling can also indicate dental problems. If you suspect that there are dental problems, it is best to contact your veterinarian.
Reproduction of the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters are social animals and also live together in small family groups in the wild. Once young are born, the parents care for the young together until they are old enough to leave the nest.
The female is willing (in heat) and ready to mate every 4 days. This takes about 12 hours. If successful mating has taken place on these days, the young are born after approximately 19 days.
The difference between males and females can be seen in the distance between the genital opening and the anus. This distance is greater for a male than for a female.
Sexual maturity : from 5 - 6 weeks
Breeding mature: females from 12 weeks
Number of litters : 3-4 per year
Litter size : average 7 (max. 10) litters per litter
Gestation period : 19-21 days
Birth weight : 1-2 g, nest stayers
Weaning time : from week 3
Health of the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Roborovski Dwarf hamsters are generally quite healthy animals. The most common health problems are skin problems. Because Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are desert animals, their skin is used to a slightly drier climate. By offering chinchilla sand, the coat and skin can be kept in good condition. If the animals do not have access to sand, the coat can become greasy and the skin may become unbalanced, resulting in inflammation and fungal formation.
It is not necessary to treat the animals preventively with anti-parasite. It is not necessary to provide extra vitamins with a complete hamster diet.
If you have the following symptoms, it is wise to consult a veterinarian
Dental problems
Drooling, moist nose and eyes, protruding teeth, not eating, losing weight, eating foreign materials that are softer than the food.
Skin
Bald spots, lots of scratches, scabs, wounds, bumps and lumps
Other
Wet and dirty ass, drinking a lot, falling over, lethargy, different shape and color of the feces.
