The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster inhabits the Steppes and semi deserts of Central Asia; the Altai mountains Tuvinskaya Autonomous Region (Tuva), Transbaikalia, Mongolia, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), and the adjacent parts of Heilungkiang and Hebei provinces of Northeastern China, where it lives in sand dunes.
The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster (sometimes incorrectly labelled as the Siberian Hamster in pet shops) is the more common than the other species of Dwarf Russian Hamster, the Dwarf Winter White Russian (Siberian) Hamster, and is often seen in pet shops in many countries today.
Both the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster and the Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster are sometimes labelled as Djungarian Hamsters. The Russians themselves refer to the Dwarf Winter White as the Djungarian but American Scientists refer to the Campbells as the Djungarian. It is however a very misleading name as neither species of Russian Hamster actually inhabit the area of Djungaria.
The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is approximately 10-12cm in length when full grown, with males being larger than females. The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster has a plump rounded body and expandable cheekpouches. Russian Hamsters have furry feet and are sometimes referred to as the Furry or Hairy Footed Hamster.
The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is sociable and will live with others of its own kind in single or mixed sex groups provided that hamsters are introduced at a young age. The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is nocturnal but can be quite active for short periods during the day. It makes a good pet although because of its small size it can be difficult for small children to handle. The Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster can also be less tolerant of clumsy handling than the bigger Syrian Hamster and more prone to nip when annoyed. They are able to squeeze through the bars of some hamster cages and so cages designed for mice, glass or plastic aquariums make more suitable cages. The average lifespan of the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster is 1½-2 years although they can live longer.
Due to the similar appearance of the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster and the Winter White Russian hamster and their ability to interbreed it may be difficult to distinguish which species a particular hamster is. So how do you tell if you have a Campbells, a Winter White or a hybrid?
Due to the similar appearance of the Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster and the Winter White Russian Hamster and their ability to interbreed it may be difficult to distinguish which species a particular hamster is, or indeed if it is a hybrid of the two species of Russian Hamster.
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