What image comes to your mind when you hear the word 'Siberian'? To me, it brings up the stereotypical image of frozen and desolate mountains covered in snow.
The kind of place Russian athletes go to toughen up in the freezing snow and high altitude.
While this may be the stereotypical image of Siberia, the image of a Siberian dwarf hamster is the opposite.
Despite his Siberian roots, this guy is a small, cute, and furry creature that is friendly and sociable as well.
Originally from the grasslands of Kazakhstan and Siberia, the Siberian dwarf hamster has many unique traits that were developed in the wild.
The most interesting of these traits is the ability to change color.
Their coats are normally a dark grey color but in the winter, they grow into white coats.
This is a trait that was developed in the wild to blend in with the snow to avoid predators.
Because if this unique ability, these hamsters are also known as Winter Whites.
So if you have one of these guys as pets, will his coat change color? There have been cases where owners have experienced their Siberians changing color but don't get your hopes up.
The Siberian dwarf hamster changes color by sensing the light from the sun.
When the sun is out less in the winter, their body senses this and in turn begins to change its coat white.
It is difficult to reproduce this effect with a hamster in captivity but there are cases where hamster owners have noticed changes in their Siberian hamster's coat.
When caring for Siberian dwarf hamsters, follow the same guidelines as for dwarf hamsters in general.
You need to get a spacious cage, though one that they can not escape from.
Don't use pine as a substrate as some hamsters have negative reactions to pine.
Also, the substrate should be replaced weekly.
A hamster wheel is a must and chew toys are also essential for keeping his teeth in shape.
These are just a few of the basics.