Hamster Roborovsky: description, care and maintenance, distinctive features

Not so common among lovers of small animals is the Roborovsky hamster. This is the smallest representative of the breed, its size does not exceed 4,5-5 cm. The maintenance and care of the animal has its own characteristics.

What is the difference between a Roborovsky hamster and a Dzungarian hamster

The main difference between the two animals is the size. Dzhungariki can reach 10 cm, Roborovskih is 2 times smaller, so they are rarely confused.

Comparative characteristics of the two breeds are presented in the table.

Comparative characteristics of the Roborovsky hamster and the dzhungarik

How much does a roborovsky hamster cost

For the price, the Roborovsky hamster differs from its counterparts in a big way. They are rarer and harder to breed. The cost of one animal ranges from 1000 to 2000 rubles. You can buy cheaper, up to 500 rubles, but this is not worth doing on the market. There are nurseries that breed these babies.

Buying from competent breeders, you get documents for the animal and guarantees by sex and age.

How many animals to get

It is interesting to keep a couple of animals. They have a very busy life, they are energetic and mobile. Two females or two males are suitable for a joint stay in the same territory. It is better if they are relatives who grew up together. There may be a fight between other animals. Sometimes they can be kept in a group of the same sex, but not desirable.

It is unacceptable to place two males and a female in one cage, there will be a fierce fight.

When buying a heterosexual pair, animals must be kept separately. To get offspring, you can plant them together only for the duration of mating. Do not immediately connect animals in the same room. Place the cages next to each other or separate them with a partition, let the animals get to know each other, sniff each other.

Colors of Roborovsky hamsters

By color, Roborovsky hamsters can be:

These animals do not have stripes on the skin. Belly and eyebrows are white. Eyebrow color is typical for these babies. The muzzle in the mustache area is also white. Appeared in Russia and animals cream color.

How long does a Roborovsky hamster live

These animals are less domesticated, they have retained their natural resistance to disease. Their lifespan in good conditions can be up to 4 years, which is rare for other breeds.

Mobility of babies requires sufficient space. You will please them with a large number of tunnels and devices for running. Houses, mink, running wheel – a guarantee that the animals will feel comfortable. The wheel must be solid so as not to damage the small paws that can get stuck in the slot of the movable structure.

Features of the content of the breed

In captivity, the Roborovsky hamster is prone to stress.

He does not like hands and practically does not need contact with a person, he easily gives in to panic.

The animal must be protected from external noise, sharp sounds, especially in the first days of stay in a new place.

Do not take it out of the terrarium or cage. He will be uncomfortable, and he can easily run away. You can catch it by setting traps with your favorite treat in the places of movement.

This breed is the most interesting to watch. The animal is very active in the evening and at night and is distinguished by a variety of social relations in the group.

Animal feed and cage

The animal needs a room with an area of ​​​​70×50 cm, if there are two kids, each needs to make a shelter and a separate wheel for running. The size of the wheel is approximately 18 cm. Sprinkle the floor with sand by 2-3 cm, put a drinking bowl, a feeder, a mineral stone. Twigs, moss and anything that can provide shelter for babies will keep them comfortable.

If the hamsters are calm enough, you can gently potty train them by placing the litter tray in the cage, only children can be trained.

The diet of animals is standard, meets the needs of other breeds. Animals eat:

• grain mixtures;
• vegetables;
• fruit;
• greens (except spicy);
• sprouted wheat,
• millet.

Toddlers consume protein foods in the form of eggs, cottage cheese, cereals, fish, flour worms. You can give chicken meat of good quality. Especially pregnant females need this food.

Do not feed table food, canned food, herbs, or spoiled or processed foods to animals.

Reproduction

To breed Roborovsky hamsters, you need to know the following:

• you need to bring a couple at the age of 4 months;
• pregnancy in females occurs on the first day and lasts 22-24 days;
• childbirth lasts about 2 hours;
• the pregnant female is removed and not disturbed;
• the animal that has given birth becomes aggressive, do not touch the children, refuse to clean the cage for a while;
• children are born blind, deaf and bald and weigh 1 g, body length 1 cm;
• they feed babies, if necessary, with bread soaked in milk, steamed with millet or buckwheat, clover; a little later, protein foods and sprouted grains are added;
• family separation is carried out after 23 days from the date of birth. Remember! You can not touch the kids with your hands, leave your smell on them. The mother delivers food to them herself, and a cub that has fallen out of the nest can be corrected with a spoon or tweezers.

This breed is interesting for its natural habits of a not fully domesticated creature. It will not serve as a toy, but will open the wonderful world of wildlife to you.