Winter White Dwarf Hamster
Winter White Dwarf Hamster / Djungarian Hamster Breed Profile
| Origin | Central Asia, northern Russia, China and Kazakhstan |
| Genus | Asiatic dwarf hamsters |
| Scientific name | Phodopus sungorus |
| Size | 3.5 to 4 inches (9-11 cm) |
| Color | Gray, dark brown; dark dorsal stripe down the back |
| Lifespan | 1.5 to 2.5 years |
| Personality | Docile, quiet, easily tamed, curious, friendly |
| How to keep them | Separately |
Characteristics
The winter white dwarf hamster is a unique dwarf hamster with a magically fluffy, white winter coat! Its other special feature is a dark dorsal stripe on its back, which the Campbell hamster also has (it’s a sub-species of the winter white).
Personality
Winter white dwarf hamsters aren’t shy around people. Their curiosity wins out over their fear. They’re friendly and trusting. It takes a lot more to scare them than the Campbell dwarf hamster or the nervous Roborovski dwarf hamster. But they’re still nimble and alert!
The Winter Coat
In the wild, the winter white dwarf hamster’s thick and silky fur turns white in winter. This is great camouflage, as they’re harder to see in the snow with white fur than a darker coat. It turns white when the days get shorter and there’s less daylight. When winter whites are kept as pets, this color change isn’t as extreme.
The Difference between Winter White and Campbell Dwarf Hamster
The main difference between the species is that the winter white dwarf hamster is considerably rounder. Actually, everything about the winter white dwarf hamster is round. Its body is like a ball, it has a round face, round eyes and round ears sticking up from its head. Speaking of eyes: unlike Campbells, winter white dwarf hamsters only rarely squint their eyes. And their fur is different. Winter white dwarf hamsters’ fur is short, fine and dense. The Campbell has longer fur. You can find more differences (e.g. dorsal stripe) in the Campbell dwarf hamster factsheet!
Colors
The fur of the winter white dwarf hamster is “agouti” or gray-blue - also known as sapphire. They have light or white fur on their bellies.
Anatomy
Winter white dwarf hamsters weigh between 0.7 and 1.4 ounces (20 and 45 grams) and are 3.5 to 4 inches (9-11 cm) long in the body.
Fun Facts
The winter white dwarf hamster is also called the Djungarian hamster. This name comes from a region in north-western China, where the hamster’s population isn’t actually that big.
