I am thinking about purchasing a European black bear hamster, but I have a few questions about them.
1. Are they more likely to get diseases or other illnesses (like wet tail and many other things) because they are a mutation of the Syrian?
2. Do they live longer than regular Syrian hamsters?
3. Is it true that they are bigger and more tame than the regular Syrian.
They are quite a bit more expensive at the pet store than regular hamsters ($20 instead of $9), but if they are less likely to get ill and they are more friendly I was thinking about getting one. Otherwise I was wondering what other kinds of hamsters would be good pets to have. I don't want one that gets sick easily and I want it to be tame so it won't bite all the time! I have also thought about the dwarf hamsters, but they are really hyper and they don't live very long, so I'm not sure if that would be a good choice. If anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated!
all of the syrian hamsters that arent the natural tannish color are technically a color mutation.
the black bears are just more expensive because they are bred specifically for their color and size.
they are no more likely to get wet-tail or other diseases, that i know of.
their lifespan is roughly the same of 3-4 years
they are a bigger than normal syrian hamsters, i find they are tamer as they get older, but i find the little ones just as fiesty as the normal syrian.
I almost got one myself about a year ago. They are basically just a color variant of the Syrian, not that much different really. I have had the dwarf Siberian hamsters about a decade ago. Mine were hyper but didn't mind being held (just wouldn't sit still). My longest lived dwarf hamster was 30 months. Their life span is not that much different than Syrian hamsters. Whether or not a hamster (or any animal) gets sick depends on its health and prior treatment when you got it as well as the care that you give it. If you buy from a good store, and the hamster looks healthy to start, then hamsters rarely get sick if cared for properly. Of the 6 dwarf hamsters I had, only one was ever sick but that was damage due to being dropped.