| Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are the smallest | | | | their antics. They enjoy a habitat that offers lots of |
| members of the family of Russian Dwarf Hamsters. | | | | nooks and crannies to explore, tubes to run through, |
| They are called Robos for short, and any adjective | | | | a wheel to run on, and a safe place to hide. They |
| such as short, little, tiny or diminutive is the right way | | | | require a solid hamster wheel due to the tiny size of |
| to describe them. At maturity, they measure only | | | | their feet. |
| two inches in length, approximately the size of a | | | | HAND TAMING A ROBO |
| human thumb, and weigh about a half of an ounce. | | | | Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters can become |
| ORIGINS | | | | accustomed to being handled with just a bit of |
| These creatures come from the steppes of | | | | patience. Inquisitive by nature, they will be eager to |
| Mongolia's Gobi Desert and northern China. They dig | | | | investigate the treat in your hand, but may need to |
| steep tunnels that run anywhere from two to six | | | | work up the courage to take it directly from you. |
| feet underground. Their name comes from the man | | | | Daily handling will teach them that they are not in |
| who first described them in 1894, V.I. Roborovski, an | | | | danger from their human caretaker. |
| officer in the Russian army. It was only in modern | | | | GROOMING |
| times that Roborovski's namesake was brought to | | | | They also keep themselves clean in the wild by |
| the western world, and not until recently did it make | | | | digging in sand. Chinchilla Sand will help to recreate |
| its debut in North American pet shops. | | | | their natural habitat and allow them to keep |
| APPEARANCE | | | | themselves clean, as well as give them the material |
| Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are instantly | | | | necessary to satisfy their need to dig. |
| recognizable not only by their tiny size, but also by | | | | MOTHERHOOD |
| the white spots on their faces where the eyebrows | | | | Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters breed at any time of |
| would normally be. Their normal coloration, Agouti, is | | | | year in captivity. It is best not to allow a female to |
| typically grayish brown with a white belly, and their | | | | breed until she is at least 4 months old. Gestation |
| ears are tipped with gray. White Face is a mutated | | | | lasts anywhere from 22 to 30 days, and a litter will |
| variation, and is sometimes known as "Husky." | | | | consist generally of four to seven pups. The babies |
| PERSONALITY | | | | are born completely helpless, both deaf and blind. |
| They are shy by nature and can be easily startled | | | | Their fur will not begin to sprout until after the first |
| and stressed. They are friendly by nature, and not | | | | week, so they need to be kept warm by their |
| prone to biting. They will run and hide when | | | | mother. Disturbing the nest may cause the mother |
| frightened and due to their small size and great | | | | hamster to eat her young. |
| speed, they can easily escape from their owners' | | | | DISTRIBUTION |
| hands. This makes them a less than ideal choice for | | | | Robos have long been a favorite pet in continental |
| households with small children and cats. | | | | Europe, and they are also common in pet stores in |
| Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters are very social hamsters | | | | South Korea and Israel. Although they are still |
| and will form a strong bond with their cage mates, | | | | uncommon in North American pet stores, their |
| doing everything together, whether sleeping, eating | | | | acrobatic antics and kind nature ensure that the |
| or playing. Robos are the most active of all the | | | | United States will see more of the Roborovski Dwarf |
| Dwarf Hamsters and will put on quite a show with | | | | Hamster. |