Information About Robo Hamsters

Robo hamsters are a quick and energetic species of dwarf hamster found originally in arid desert regions of Mongolia and China. The Robo is relatively new in the American pet trade, but has already become immensely popular with hobbyists and breeders alike. Known for its cute face and ease of care, a Robo is a terrific pet and does well in small groups with other hamsters from its family.

  1. History

    • The Robo hamster is named after the Roborovsky and Kozlov expedition team of 1894, who first described the species. It is native to the desert steppes in Mongolia and parts of northern China, and is distributed across much of the Gobi Desert region. It was not until 1998 the Robo hamster reached the United States in sufficient numbers to begin breeding colonies.

    Appearance

    • At a mere 2 inches in length, the Robo is the smallest of known hamster species. The typical Robo is a light to medium brown with a white belly and sides. The undercoat is gray. Most Robo hamsters also possess a white mark above each eye, said to resemble Doberman spots or eyebrows. As the species has become more popular in the pet trade, color mutations have begun to crop up, including white-faced, platinum, and pure white Robo hamsters.

    Diet

    • Robo hamsters can eat more than a tablespoon of food per day, but should be offered as much food as they want due to their high metabolism and their need to "stash" food to fulfill natural hoarding instincts. A manufactured diet designed for hamsters should work just fine as a staple for your Robo hamster; but Robos will benefit from more added vegetable matter than most other species, such as sprouts, broccoli, turnips, corn, carrots, kale, clover and dandelion greens. Remove uneaten food daily and replace with fresh.

    Care

    • Robo hamsters do best when kept in an aquarium rather than a hamster cage, as their small size makes it very easy for them to become stuck between cage bars. The floor should be lined with several inches of a dust-free hamster bedding, such as one made from paper or wood pulp. Do not use any pine or cedar shavings for your hamster, as the oils in the wood can cause severe irritation and even allergic reactions. Provide plenty of hiding places and chewable objects, such as paper towel tubes, cardboard boxes, and wooden hamster toys.

    Breeding

    • Robo hamsters generally should not be bred until they are between 5 and 6 months old for females, or between 3 and 4 months old for males. The female can produce a litter as often as every month, and gestation is typically 22 days. An average litter may be anywhere from 4 to 10 pups--5 or 6 is average--and the pups are born blind and helpless. Hamsters are known to occasionally cannibalize their young, and Robo hamsters are no exception. This is commonly caused by stress, especially in new mothers, so care should be taken to disturb the female as little as possible while she is nesting to give her time to settle down and raise the litter.