Polski
The Chinese dwarf hamster (Cricetulus griseus) is native to Tuva. It belongs to the long-tailed dwarf hamster family and is a shy animal. The Chinese has a longer body compared to other dwarf hamster species and, of course, a longer tail. The tail helps the animal maintain balance while climbing, among other things.
The Chinese dwarf hamster was initially considered a subspecies of the Daurian dwarf hamster (Cricetulus barabensis). They look very similar, but the Chinese dwarf hamster was eventually given the suffix "griseus" instead of "Barabensis."
Head-body length : Males 11-12.5 cm and 45 grams, females 9-11 cm and 38 grams
Body weight : Males 45 grams, females 38 grams
Life expectancy : 2 - 3 years
Chinese dwarf hamsters are crepuscular, meaning they are most active in the evening and early morning. However, these animals sleep cyclically, alternating between a few hours of sleep and a few hours of wakefulness, meaning these dwarf hamsters are also regularly awake during the day.
Taming and familiarizing the Chinese Dwarf Hamster
Always do your research before deciding to get a Chinese hamster. They make wonderful pets that are often awake, making them visible during the day. Chinese hamsters don't always enjoy being cuddled and are often quite nervous about being picked up, especially at first. While Chinese hamsters seem to have slightly better depth perception than other hamster species, caution is advised. Their longer tail helps them maintain balance better, for example, on your hand. Once they're used to being handled, they also enjoy walking across your hand and between your fingers.
A new resident should be approached calmly, especially at first. The animal needs to become familiar with its own habitat and feel safe there before it dares to approach people. Of course, some daredevils will immediately approach you and be sociable, but most hamsters are a bit shy at first. Give the animal time and try to gently establish contact by talking to it. Giving a treat from the hand often works well to gain the animals' trust.
Housing the Chinese Dwarf Hamster
Chinese dwarf hamsters need a spacious enclosure of at least 80 x 40 cm. A good enclosure allows them to dig, but also to climb a bit. In the wild, Chinese dwarf hamsters build beautiful burrow systems, and they prefer to continue doing so in captivity. A burrow in the wild is at least 1 to 2 meters deep and about 1 meter long. The depth of the burrow depends on the ambient temperature. When the temperature rises, the dwarf hamster will dig deeper underground to reach the cool earth, a kind of natural air conditioning.
Hamsterscaping is therefore great fun for Chinese Dwarf Hamsters.
In our home, this translates into a spacious enclosure with plenty of room for digging! A terrarium is the best choice for this, thanks to its enclosed nature. However, it's important that a terrarium allows for good ventilation, so preferably with two vents (top and bottom). This is especially important in summer when temperatures rise above 25°C.
Chinese dwarf hamsters do not tolerate high temperatures combined with high humidity, so a temperature between 20 and 24°C and a humidity below 70% are recommended. You can use a hygrometer to measure these values.
House for a Chinese Dwarf Hamster
Chinese hamsters are lucky! Almost all hamster houses are a good size for this species. Chinese hamsters are prey animals and don't like to roam freely in their enclosure; if they find a hiding place every now and then, they feel much safer. Therefore, we recommend having at least two hamster houses: one for sleeping and one for hiding. At least one of the houses should be larger so the hamster can also store its food supplies. Not being able to put food away can cause stress for the animals.
Exercise wheel for a Chinese Dwarf Hamster
The hamster wheel is a crucial element of a dwarf hamster enclosure. Chinese dwarf hamsters are active animals that love to run, often at night. This is because they naturally run a lot during the night in search of food. It's essentially in their DNA. Furthermore, scientific research has shown that hamsters enjoy running in a wheel, which promotes digestion and generally keeps them in good shape.
An exercise wheel for a Chinese Dwarf Hamster should have a diameter of at least 20 cm and consist of a solid running surface.
Bedding for the Chinese Dwarf Hamster
It's important that the substrate for dwarf hamsters is diggable, meaning they can create tunnels and burrows in it, which preferably remain intact. This can be achieved by choosing substrate that is already diggable or by mixing substrates to make them diggable. Examples of diggable substrates include humus and burrowing sand , as well as cotton and cotton . A good mix is a mix of cotton and hemp fiber , cotton and wood fiber, or a mix of wood fiber , hemp fiber, and hay. Substrates like Back 2 Nature are not suitable because the animals cannot dig in them. An ideal depth for the substrate to dig in is around 20 cm.
Sand bath for Chinese Dwarf Hamsters
Chinese dwarf hamsters enjoy taking an occasional sand bath . Sand has a degreasing and therefore cooling effect. Because sand is degreasing, it also has a drying effect. Therefore, animals with skin problems should 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 hamsters' bathing behavior and remove the sand bath if they notice any signs of skin problems (red patches, bald spots, scabs, or wounds).
Chinese Dwarf Hamsters are nest builders
Chinese hamsters are true nest builders; they always need nesting material to line their burrows. Building a nest is therefore a natural behavior for a hamster. Therefore, always provide them with 15-25 grams of nesting material.
Nesting material should be soft, absorbent, and have brittle fibers so the birds can't get tangled in it. Materials like cotton, hemp, toilet paper, and hay are ideal.
Chinese Dwarf Hamster Food
Chinese dwarf hamsters are true granivores (seed eaters). Their diet consists primarily of seeds and a negligible portion of animal protein . They primarily eat more animal protein, such as insects, when seeds are scarce.
Chinese dwarf hamsters transport their hamster food in their cheek pouches. What you see is the hamster stuffing its food into its cheek pouches and quickly taking it to its home or pantry. Transporting food in the cheek pouches is also called "hoarding." Thanks to the cheek pouch muscle, the food is held in the pouch, allowing the hamster to transport it safely and quickly.
Dental formula: 1013/1013 (Ratio of upper to lower incisors = 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 foregut and the glandular stomach.
Small cecum: with limited ability to process crude fiber. Protein-rich cecotropes are only eaten when food is scarce.
The Chinese Dwarf Hamster does not actually eat any plant parts, so the food should have a low fiber content and should certainly remain below 10%.
Gnawing material for Chinese Dwarf Hamsters
Chinese dwarf hamsters have a natural urge to gnaw. This is because dwarf hamsters are rodents and have continuously growing incisors. Therefore, they need something to gnaw on to wear down their teeth. If dwarf hamsters don't have enough opportunities to wear down their teeth, they can become overgrown or crooked, with all the consequences that entails.
Rodents use gnawing wood to wear down their teeth. Because rodents' teeth grow continuously, they need to be gnawed regularly to prevent them from growing too long and crooked.
Some Chinese hamsters actively chew on gnawing wood, while others don't at all. It's partly a matter of taste, but also a matter of need. If a hamster doesn't have a need to chew because its teeth stay long thanks to food, hay, or other gnawing materials, it will chew on gnawing wood less. It's good to always offer natural gnawing wood so the animals can always chew when they feel the need.
Dental problems in Chinese Dwarf Hamsters
If you notice your hamster eagerly trying to grab food but then not eating it, there might be something wrong with its teeth. Drooling can also indicate dental problems. If you suspect dental problems, it's best to contact your vet.
Reproduction of the Chinese Dwarf Hamster
Chinese dwarf hamsters are completely solitary, coming together only during mating season. Once young are born, the mother cares for them until they are old enough to leave the nest.
The female is in heat and ready to mate every four days. This lasts about 12 hours. If a successful mating occurs on these days, the young are born after about 19 days.
The difference between males and females can be seen in the distance between the genital opening and the anus. In males, this distance is greater than in females.
Sexually mature : from 4 weeks
Breeding ready: females from 12 weeks
Number of litters : 3-4 per year
Litter size : average 7 (max. 10) young per litter
Gestation period : 19-21 days
Birth weight : 1-2 g, nestlings
Weaning period : from week 3
Chinese Dwarf Hamster Health
Chinese dwarf hamsters are generally quite healthy animals. The most common health problems are dental problems, diabetes, and eye problems. Because of these dental problems, we recommend regular checkups to detect any dental issues early.
Preventative treatment with parasite preventative measures is not necessary. Supplemental vitamin supplements are not necessary with a complete hamster diet.
It is advisable to consult a veterinarian if the following symptoms occur:
Dental problems
Drooling, runny nose and eyes, protruding teeth, not eating, losing weight, eating foreign materials that are softer than food.
Skin
Bald spots, lots of scratching, scabs, wounds, bumps and lumps.
Other
Wet and dirty bottom, drinking a lot, collapsing, listlessness, different shape and color of the droppings.
For extensive information on rodent care, see LICG
