With the dubious honour of being one of the most popular pets for children, the Syrian hamster is the most widely available hamster and the largest. Syrian hamsters are also known as the Golden Hamster, Black bear or Angora/Teddy bear hamster.
Syrian hamsters are said to all be descended from a mother and her litter of 12 brought back from Aleppo, Syria in the 1930s.
Adult syrian hamsters measure around 13cm, with females being slightly larger than the males. They typically weigh around 100-150g. They can live around 2-3 years although poor care and husbandry often make it much less.
Both genders of Syrian hamsters have scent glands located on either side of their hips - these are sometimes known as 'hip spots' and the hair surrounding is often shorter and darker than elsewhere. A Syrian Hamster uses its scent glands to mark its territority, and on rare occasions these spots may appear red or inflamed, in which case they need veterinary attention.
Syrian hamsters are highly territorial and must be kept alone. Although some pet shops will keep them together this is due to their young age, and is very misleading. The only time Syrian hamsters may tolerate each other is when the female is in heat, and even then she may attack after mating.
Syrians require a large, barred cage the size suggested as a minimum is 50 x 80 cm. Cage suggestions include Ferplast Mary or Jenny, Hamster heaven 80, Alexander small pet cage, or Igor hamster cage. Cages should include some nests or houses and items to gnaw upon. A large, solid-based wheel such as the medium size silent spinner is vital for exercise - any wheel must be a minimum of 8 inches in diameter. It is important to be careful with ledges and ladders since Syrians are not good at judging height.
Syrian hamsters can be tamed with care and patience and are easier and slower to handle than the dwarf species. They are less likely to nip, although can still do so if woken abruptly from sleep.
Colours and coat types
Their natural wild colour is a golden brown with a pale, grey belly however pet Syrians now come in over 40 different colours and markings. Coat variations include short-haired, long-haired, satin and rex/astrex(curly). Coat patterns include banded, dominant spot (piedbald), Tortoiseshell and White, Tortoiseshell and Roan.
Breeding
Due to the over-abundance of hamsters in rescue centres breeding should be considered very carefully and only undertaken by experienced rodent keepers.
The following information is derived from my own research, and not personal experience and should not be considered as an definitive list. Please remember that your females should not be bred for the first time too young, or too old and it is important to give the female a resting period between litters. Back-to-back litters, with no resting period will take a huge toll on a female and will drastically shorten her lifespan.
It is also important to check whether the male can be left in with the litter or must be removed and to research the proper introduction methods for mating. The nest and pups should not be disturbed for the first 14 days due to the possibility that this could upset the mother and lead to her killing her young.
Please see when to breed rodents: ethics and care for more information.
Syrian hamsters have additional danger due to their closely related nature, the presence of lethal genes that can lead to a high or total death rate in their litters and the possibility of infanticide.Syrian hamsters become sexually mature at around 28 days, however they should not be bred for the first time until 3-4 months of age. A sexually mature female comes into heat approximately every four days.
Syrian hamsters have a very short gestation of 15-17 days and litter sizes can be up to 20 with an average litter size of 8-10. Pups must be separated into same-sex groups at 4 weeks, and kept singularly by 8 weeks.