You want to buy a hamster as a pet and you want to know how old these are? We clarify!
We’re sharing information about Hamster Lifespan with you.
The hamster is one of the most popular pets worldwide, especially in children. Often, hamsters are the first pet to get into the house. This animal is quite easy to maintain and not only children fall in love with its sweet expressions and funny movements. However, it is important to explain to children how old hamsters become, because one day they will have to face the reality that a pet is not immortal. There are over 20 types of hamsters in the world, but only 4 or 5 can be kept as a pet. A sensitive point among these species is their limited lifespan.
Chinese striped hamsters are 2 to 3 years old.
The Roborowski hamsters have a life expectancy of 3 years.
Syrian golden hamsters are also 2 to 3 years old.
Hamsters tend to become active after sunset and are primarily herbivores, although they can also eat insects. One of her main features is her cheek pouches, which fill her with food. The life expectancy of hamsters may vary greatly depending on their habitat, the care they receive, and the way they are kept.
Hamsters who live as pets at home have an average lifespan of 1.5 to 3 years, although there have been isolated cases that were up to 7 years old. In general, the smaller the species, the lower the life expectancy.
A good diet and proper care also has a direct effect on the health of a hamster.
Here are some factors that affect how old a hamster gets
1– Species
2– Genetics
3– Nutrition
4– Outlet
5– Living environment
6– Diseases
7– Maintenance
You can not influence the first two factors. Yes, you can decide what kind of hamster you are going to give, but you can not influence the life expectancy of your new pet.
How Old Are Hamsters In The Wild?
Interestingly, hamsters can live longer in the wild than in captivity. However, many are hunted by owls, foxes and other predators, causing many to die very early, greatly reducing life expectancy. The European hamster (also called field hamster) can, for example, be up to 8 years old.
This is a big hamster that can grow up to 35 cm long. Thus it is more than twice as big as the golden hamster, which does not become longer than 17,5 cm.
Djungarian hamsters grow to a maximum length of 8 cm and have a life expectancy of about 12 months in the wild.
