This most popular of pet hamsters is available in short hair (golden, wild-type or fancy colors) and long hair (aka teddy bear).

The Syrian hamster is a mainstay of the companion animal world. The short-haired or golden hamster is the wild type. That is, the form that most closely resembles the animal (Mesocricetus auratus) in nature it has been domesticated from. The golden hamster is native to the dry, hot deserts of Syria.

Through generations of selective breeding, fancy short-haired varieties (e.g., panda, black bear) and the popular long-haired (aka teddy bear or angora) hamster have been derived. Satin and rex coats are also bred. The term “teddy bear” is so popular for these large, bear-like hamsters that it is often used to refer to all Syrian hamsters, not just the long-haired varieties many reserve for the name’s use.

One fascinating fact about the Syrian hamster is that it has the shortest gestation period of the placental mammals at 16 days. The lifespan of the Syrian hamster is about two years.