The term “Russian dwarf hamster” is a common term for two species of hamster – the Campbell’s dwarf hamster or the Winter White dwarf hamster. It can also refer to a hybrid of the two. Russian dwarf hamsters are also known as Siberian hamsters or Siberian dwarf hamsters. The ones that are colorful and attractive are also labeled fancy Russian dwarf hamsters in pet shops. However, this is simply a marketing term and there is nothing different about a ‘fancy’ apart from its color.

General information

Both Campbells’ and Winter Whites (and their hybrids) typically measure 3 to 4 inches in adulthood. Hybrids tend to be slightly bigger. Campbells’ and Winter Whites are frequently mistaken for each other due to their similarity. At one point, they were even confused for the same species by scientists. Their lifespan is between one to three years and most of them live for around 2 years.

Here’s a video of my winter white hamster, Oatmeal:

Russian dwarf hamster colors

Campbell’s dwarves and hybrids come in a wide variety of colors while winter whites have fewer colors. The table below lists each species and the colors they are available in. To see more colors, visit this page.

Campbell’s	Winter White	Hybrid
Normal	Normal	Orange/pudding
Black-eyed Argente	Sapphire	Brown
Opal	Pearl (pattern)	Mushroom
Dark Gray	Merle (pattern)	Mandarin
Argente	Imperial White (pattern)	Moscow
Lilac Fawn
Beige
Blue Beige
Black
Silvering
Albino
Umbrous
Chocolate
Blue
Dove
Black-eyed Lilac
Dark Beige
Red-eyed Lilac
Champagne
Black-eyed White
Red-eyed White
Platinum (pattern)
Mottled (pattern)
Mosaic (pattern)
Satin (coat-type)
Rex (coat-type)
Wavy (coat-type)
Hairless (coat-type)

Care and feeding

As with other dwarf hamsters, you’ll require the right supplies, the correct diet, and to keep their cages clean. All these and more are covered in our dwarf hamster care page.

Taming your hamster

This is a great video on taming winter whites, but can also be applied to Campbell’s and hybrids.

Taming tips

1. Start by giving your hamster treats so it associates you with rewards.
2. When attempting to tame your hamster, have its wheel out too so it feels at home.
3. Your hamster will run on the wheel a lot if when it’s nervous.
4. Instead of grabbing your hamster, lift it up with both hands.
5. Feed your hamster treats once it’s on your hand.
6. Don’t be afraid if your hamster nibbles once in a while.
7. If you can get your hamster to sit in your hand without trying to run away, you’ve successfully tamed it!

If you have any questions, comments, or tips, be sure to leave a comment. Thank you for reading!

A robo dwarf hamster measures about 2 to 2.5 inches long. Due to their size and speed, they’re not as easy to handle or tame as campbell’s or winter white dwarf hamsters. Robo dwarf hamsters originate from Russia, Kazakhstan, and northern China. In the wild, they eat grains, fruits, vegetables and small quantities of insect and meat. When kept as pets, the average lifespan of a robo dwarf hamster is about 3 years and can even go up to 4.

Here’s a video cut of a documentary on robo dwarf hamsters:

As shown in the video, robo dwarf hamsters are able to live in groups. However, this is in the wild where they have plenty of space to roam.

Pet robo dwarf hamsters may be able to live together, but only if they were raised together in the same enclosure from young. Even then, they may still end up fighting or being aggressive towards each other when they’re older and more territorial. Many people who have multiple robos living in the same cage have had injuries or even deaths resulting from fights.

If you intend to put more than one robo dwarf hamster in a single cage, you’ll probably want to check on them daily to make sure they are not fighting. They should be separated immediately if there are any signs of fighting or injury.

You should absolutely not house a robo dwarf hamster with another species of hamster or any other animal for that matter.

Robo dwarf hamster colors

You can usually find robo dwarf hamsters in two colors in stores.

Agouti
This is the normal color for robos and is a very light brown/beige color with gray roots. Some would also describe this as sandy. Agouti robo dwarf hamsters have cute “white eyebrows” and no dorsal stripe.

White-face
The white-face robo dwarf hamster looks similar to the agouti one except its entire face is white. You’ll sometimes find a white-face robo hamster referred to as a “husky” but they’re essentially talking about the same thing.

Other colors
Other colors may also be available but they are much rarer and usually can only be gotten from breeders. For example, a Platinum robo dwarf hamster looks like a white-face except it is lighter and can fade to pure white when they are older. Other colors include the (pure) white roborovski, red-eyed and mottled or pied.

Robo dwarf hamster care

Caring for your robo dwarf hamster is the same as any other dwarf hamster. You will need the right supplies (cage, bottle, wheel, bedding, food, etc), feed them the right diet, and keep their cages clean. All of these and more information on how to take care of a robo dwarf hamster are covered in our dwarf hamster care guide.

Taming your robo dwarf hamster

ErinsHamsters on YouTube has a great video on taming your robo dwarf hamster.

10 tips for taming your robo dwarf hamster

1. If your hamster is new, give it time to get used to its surroundings before trying to tame or handle it.
2. Only attempt to handle your hamster when it is awake. The best times are very early in the morning or in the evenings as your hamster will be awake and active at these times.
3. Initially, your hamster may run away after sniffing your hand or fingers. This is normal.
4. Let your hamster come to you instead of grabbing it. A robo dwarf hamster is usually too fast for a beginner to grab hold of properly. You can use a toilet roll or a cup and let your hamster crawl into it to move it around.
5. Tame your hamster in an empty box that’s low enough for you to put your hand in easily but high enough so they can’t run away.
6. Put your hand flat in the box and let your hamster come to you. Again, don’t try to grab it. Allow the hamster to get used to your scent.
7. Offer your hamster treats but don’t try to force it to eat anything.
8. Tame your hamster over multiple sessions a day rather than a single long session.
9. Be patient, if you keep trying over a period of time, your hamster will eventually learn that you’re not a threat.
10. Play with your robo dwarf hamster daily so that it remains tame.

If you have any questions about robo dwarf hamsters or other tips to share, be sure to leave a comment. Thank you for reading!