I, ROBOROVSKI
Named after the Roborovsky and Koslov expedition, when in July of 1894 a
specimen of this hamster was captured. The Roborovski's natural habitat is the
desert dunes of the Western
and Eastern regions of
Mongolia and parts of
Manchuria and Northern
China.
Roborovskis (or Robs) are the smallest of all hamster species, with adults reaching approximately 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) in length. Unlike other dwarf species, the Rob doesn't have a dorsal stripe and their legs are slightly longer. The top coat is a sandy brown with a slate grey undercoat, the belly and side arches are pure white. Their large black eyes are emphasized with a white facial marking which slightly resemble eyebrows.
Robs are extremely active, making them somewhat difficult to handle, but certainly entertaining. In addition to a wheel, they like several hiding places and things to climb on. Due to their small size they can be difficult to keep in wire cages. In the wild their burrows can often reach as deep as 6 feet! The Rob is a very clean animal. It spends much of it's time with grooming itself. A Roborovski hamster will be particularly please with a dust bath. Dust bath designed for Chinchillas is too fine, but commercial hamster litter is inexpensive and works great, just put some in a bowl and watch them go!
Roborovski hamsters are easier to breed
than the Chinese hamster but slightly more
difficult than the Campbells or Winter White
breeds with difficulty varying between
individual hamsters. In the wild their breeding
period is from April to September, but in
captivity they may breed at any time of year.
The female will usually be pregnant between
23 and 30 days. During the breeding period
the female can produce up to four litters of
between one and nine tiny pups, weighing only a gram each! Like all hamsters,
Rob pups are born hairless and with their eyes and ears closed. They do however
have claws and teeth. Robs mature at a remarkable rate, in two days their
whiskers appear and after five days their hair is visibly growing. At three weeks
they are fully furred miniature dwarf hamsters ready to take on the world without
their mother's care.
