Roborovsky hamster: care, maintenance, character, cost

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Not all people have the opportunity to keep a cat or dog at home. The circumstances can be different: the absence of the owner of the house until late in the evening, an allergy to wool, living in a rented apartment - usually their owners are categorically against pets that can gnaw or scratch furniture. However, you still want to have something warm and fluffy in the house. And people give birth to "cellular" animals: guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, and even chinchillas. If you're a fan of cute rodents, you might love the Robor hamster that has captivated people around the world.

The origin of the animal

This small animal has a very interesting history of spreading around the world. The historical homeland of the hamster is the desert and semi-desert regions in eastern Asia. This includes mainly Mongolia and China, but the animal can also be found in the Asian part of Russia. The largest population is observed in the foothills of the Tien Shan. The first description of the animal was made only in the 19th century, but as a pet, the Roborovsky hamster became popular even later. In the 70th year of the past century, a batch of rodents was brought to the Moscow Zoo. It can be said that this was the first acquaintance with the "robes" of the entire civilized world. It was from here that the journey of hamsters to other countries began: the British and Americans were the first to buy them from the USSR, and other European countries followed them.

Description of the animal

The Roborovski hamster (or dwarf hamster) is considered the smallest member of its tribe. The maximum body length is five centimeters, there are no smaller hamsters. The second notable feature is the white eyebrows present in any individual. And the third feature is the soles of the paws covered with fur. The coat of the animal is thick and rather long, on the back - fawn, on the abdomen - almost white. The tail is present, but so small that it is almost invisible due to the wool. The muzzle can be called snub-nosed, the ears are large and rounded, black, but with a light frill.

In general, the animal has such a characteristic appearance that even a layman can recognize it. This is relevant when considering how much a Roborovsky hamster costs. It is the most expensive breed in the world. In America, they ask for it from 13 to 30 dollars; in Russia, prices are, of course, lower, but also higher than the cost of other varieties of hamsters. On the market, a Roborovsky hamster will cost 80-100 rubles, but there is a high risk that you will come acrosssick or old animal. And even worse - the hamster is not Roborovsky at all, so vigilance should be increased. In a nursery or a breeder, a hamster will cost from 250 rubles, but a passport is attached to it, and the animal will be vaccinated against possible diseases.

Robe character

When considering getting a pet, think about how it matches your aspirations. For lovers of cuddling an animal, playing with it, a Robor hamster is not very suitable: it is very shy. In addition to the fact that the animal will use its teeth, it can get sick from stress, and with regular fright, even die.

On the other hand, hamsters are very active, so watching them is a real pleasure. In addition, the Roborovsky hamster is almost the only subspecies that can be kept in groups. True, only individuals of the same sex should be present in them.

Roborowski Hamster: maintenance and equipment for him

One of the main advantages of the described animal is its high resistance to disease. And if you bought an animal from a breeder with good genetics, then it will not show hereditary diseases either.

Maintaining and caring for a Roborovsky hamster is simple and will not cause trouble if you properly equip his house. First of all, do not put your pet in a cage. No matter how frequent the bars, he will still manage to slip away, and, given his tiny size, it will be extremely difficult to find him. It is better to buy a hamster aquarium. Moreover, at least a quarter of a square space of space is allocated for one inhabitant - the Robor hamster is very mobile, and if there is not enough space, he begins to mope, becomes more aggressive. Optional equipment includes:

1. A house or at least a small box where the animal will hide and sleep.
2. Running wheel with a solid surface so that the baby does not break the paws.
3. Tunnels, sticks and other climbing frames.
4. Feeder and drinker.

The bottom is lined with quartz sand; it is better to change it more often so that a strong animal “spirit” does not appear in the apartment. It would be nice to complement the landscape with large stones and hay - so the hamster will feel better.

Proper diet

Robic's food is not much different from the menu of other hamsters. The key to his he alth and longevity is diversity. The basis is made up of various seeds, in particular sunflower and millet. Mandatory greens; lettuce and dandelion leaves are great. Vegetables and fruits, oatmeal and bread soaked in milk are approved by the animal. Occasionally, especially young individuals, need to be fed with flour worms. However, if you feed your pet with ready-made mixtures, then you can simply supplement them with green mass: the feed contains everything that the baby needs.

A few words about breeding

The Roborovsky hamster in captivity does not breed very willingly due to the same natural fearfulness. However, you can still achieve what you want. To do this, only one couple should be kept in the aquarium: the presence of strangers will inevitably cause fights either between males or between females. The latter are most often ready for reproduction already at the age of three weeks, although in some cases maturation is delayed up to three months - probably due to the nature of the content or due to stress.

A pregnant female walks up to 22 days. Babies are pubescent by 10 days of age, their eyes erupt on the 13th day. When they reach 3 weeks of age, they need to be weaned - they are already completely independent, and the female can begin to prepare for the next gestation.