Detailed description of the Campbell hamster breed. A detailed description of the Campbell hamster and how to distinguish it from the Dzungarian hamster Difference between the Dzungarian hamster and Campbell

Campbell's hamster is a representative of the Djungarian hamsters. The breed lives on almost the entire territory of Mongolia, in Kazakhstan, in China, in Russia (in Buryatia, Tuva, the Trans-Baikal Territory). Popular pet.

Campbell's hamster is a member of the dwarf hamster family. In external parameters, it resembles a Dzungarian hamster, but it also has its own distinctive features. Campbell's hamsters have small ears and golden brown fur light colors predominate. A common feature of both breeds of hamsters is the presence of a dark stripe on the back and a light-colored abdomen.

Campbell's hamster has no fur on the soles of its feet. and does not change color depending on fluctuations in ambient temperature.

An important feature of Campbell's hamster is the difficulty of taming them. This is a very biting breed.. The owner of a hamster can be bitten easily. If you have several hamsters of this breed living in one cage, do not leave them alone for a long time, otherwise they may be bitten to death. Do not despair and think that Campbell's hamster is not suitable for home living. You need to spend more time with your pet, then he will quickly get used to you and bring more than one joyful moment.

History of the breed

On the Russian-Chinese border in 1904, this type of hamster was officially discovered by a member of the consular group of Britain, William Campbell. Note that earlier Campbell's hamster was considered a subspecies of the Djungarian hamster, but today there are 2 different species.

Appearance

Outwardly, Campbell's hamster looks like a jungarik. The length of the body is up to 105 mm, the weight is about 25 g, the tail has a length of 4 to 14 mm. Rounded head, short muzzle.

Domestic hamsters come in a variety of colors, from white to black.. The color of the coat does not depend on the season. In nature, these hamsters have gray and brown hair, a dark stripe is observed from the neck along the back to the base of the tail, the belly of the hair is gray at the base, and the soles are whitish to the tip, with white hair.

Differences from the Djungarian hamster:

ears are much smaller;

there is no dark spot on the crown;

on the back the dark stripe is narrower, but more distinct;

gray hair on the belly (dzhungarik has white hair);

does not change color in winter.

Lifestyle

Campbell's hamster is a nocturnal animal. In the wild, it lives in semi-deserts, deserts and steppes. Hamsters live in pairs or small groups with a leader with other hamsters of their species.

Campbell's hamster burrows about a meter long, usually with 5 entrances, a seed chamber and a nest chamber. Sometimes he uses ready-made gerbil burrows. Doesn't hibernate. It feeds on seeds and sometimes eats insects.

The breed breeds from April to October. The gestation period is from 20 to 22 days. Females are able to bring 4 litters per year, 4-8 hamsters in a brood. This rapid generational change encourages laboratory experiments to track the effects of certain biological factors.

Campbell's hamsters are more difficult to tame than other species; they often bite, and some individuals should be picked up only in special gloves.

These are solitary hamsters, and they need to be kept one at a time.. Living together will lead to frequent fights, which can result in serious injuries or death of hamsters. The cage, terrarium or aquarium must be at least 50 x 30 cm.

Hamsters are quite popular pets. They are unpretentious, do not make a lot of noise and are very cute. A special place in the world of these rodents belongs to dwarf species. One of these miniature animals is Campbell's hamster, which looks very similar to the Dzungarian. How to choose a pet and care for this baby, we will tell in our material.

Meet Campbell's Hamster

Before you get this cute rodent, it is important to know about the features of its content and character.

Dwarf hamsters are energetic, curious and love independence.

A feature of Campbell's hamster is its resemblance to.

For a long time, these babies were considered a type of dzhungarik. But there are a number of signs by which you can correctly identify the breed.

Why such a name

The hamster got its name in honor of a member of the British consular service in China, Charles Campbell, who in 1904 brought samples of the breed from the Sino-Russian border.

What does it look like

The rodent has a tiny size and cute appearance.
These are miniature beauties, which you can admire endlessly.

• Weight. An adult individual weighs no more than 45–50 g.
• Body length. Rodents grow about 7-10 cm in length.
• Tail. Very short - its length is not more than 1.5 cm.
• Head. Round shape with small ears.
• Muzzle. Short, sharp form.
• Wool length. Long and ragged, sticking up.
• Color. Color options can be varied, but any color of Campbell's hamster is characterized by reddishness.
• Eyes. Round, most often black, but can also be red.

Important! In captivity, a variety of rodent color options have been bred - from white to black.

How to distinguish from jungarik

Outwardly, these cute kids look like jungars, like their twin brothers.

But Campbell's hamster still has a number of characteristic differences:

• the presence of spots on the fur (they are absent in the jungars);
• the minimum width of the strip on the back: in jungars it is wide and can go into the nose or flow into a rhombus on the muzzle;
• the color of Campbell's hamsters is predominantly sandy, golden or cream, dzhungarikov - gray, black or brown;
• the presence of red eyes (this does not happen in jungars);
• in Campbell's hamster, the hair sticks out, in the Dzungarian one it lies smoothly;
• when viewed from above, our rodent resembles a figure eight, dzhungarik - an egg;
• weakly expressed or completely absent arches at the transition from the back to the stomach; in the dzhungarik they are clearly distinguished.

Robm (2) on the head, as well as spots on the coat (2). At the transition from the back to the stomach, there is the presence of mild arches (4).

Lifestyle

These rodents are nocturnal.

At night, they are active, noisy and run a lot, so it is better to keep them away from bedrooms and children's rooms.

These outwardly cute animals are very aggressive and skittish, difficult to tame, often bite.
Campbell's hamsters do not tolerate a change of scenery well. Under new conditions, their aggressiveness may increase.

How many live

The average life expectancy of an animal is 2 years.

Did you know?Hamsters are extremely smart. They remember their nickname and can perform a few simple tricks.

Purchase rules and price

The price for one Campbell hamster ranges from 2 to 5 dollars per individual.
It is important to purchase a rodent from nurseries or breeders with a good reputation. Don't risk buying a hamster that is too young or too old.

Important! The cage with the hamster should be located in a well-lit area, but not in direct sunlight.

The optimal age of the animal is from 3 weeks to 3 months. After purchasing a pet, be sure to take it to the veterinarian, especially if the hamster is bought for children.

When buying a rodent, pay attention to its gender - males are not as aggressive and are much easier to tame than females.

When choosing a pet, pay attention to the following points:

• the coat of a healthy rodent should be without bald patches, clean, dry and shiny;
• the eyes of the hamster should shine, be without signs of souring;
• the nose and anus should be clean, without any traces of secretions.

In Europe, Campbell's hamster has long been the most popular pet rodent.
In the post-Soviet space, its domestication is still treated with caution.

But in vain, because the care of this rodent is minimal, and you can watch its cute games endlessly.

housing requirements

For the miniature sizes of these pets, a 40x60 cm cage is quite suitable.
Equip it with horizontal rods so that the rodent has the opportunity to climb on them.

Pay attention to the peculiarity of pygmy rodents to slip between the bars of the cage, so a cage with frequent bars or a glass aquarium is best suited for Campbell's hamster.

As a filler, you can use sawdust or any other filler from a pet store.

To avoid unpleasant odors, clean the cage at least once a week.
Your pet must have constant access to fresh food and water.

When choosing a feeder, give preference to heavy materials - stone or ceramics.
So the rodent will not overturn the food, clogging the cage. The drinker should be anatomical, the water should be changed daily.

Take care not only of the basic needs of your little friend, but also of his comfort.

Equip the cage with a plastic house (a hamster will quickly ruin a wooden house with its sharp teeth).
In it, the animal equips a nest for itself, where it will sleep and store its supplies.

In addition to the house, the hamster needs a wheel for running, which will reduce the risk of obesity and increase its lifespan.
The wheel should be large, always with a solid surface to avoid damage to the legs.

It is not necessary to put a toilet tray in the corner of the cage.

It is better to replace it with a bath of sand, which can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy or pet store. The hamster will happily spend his time there.
And do not forget about the chalk stone, which is vital for the rodent to grind down the teeth.

Did you know?Hamsters are born with teeth. This is a fairly rare occurrence in the animal kingdom.

How many individuals can be kept in one cage

This breed of rodent should be kept alone. They do not tolerate neighbors even of their own kind. The result of the joint maintenance of Campbell's hamsters can be constant conflicts, fights with mutilation. Hamsters will fight for their territory until only one is left.

What to feed Campbell's hamsters

The health, appearance and activity of a hamster is completely dependent on his diet, which must be balanced and varied.

The rodent should eat daily fresh seasonal fruits, dried fruits and vegetables, constantly receive grain mixtures and greens.
The familiar dill and parsley, as well as dandelion leaves and sprouted wheat will bring the greatest benefit to your pet. Campbell's hamster can be given pumpkin, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, potatoes and corn, apples, bananas, raisins, watermelon, strawberries.

With pleasure, the rodent will feast on animal proteins - special fodder insects (they can be purchased at the pet store), boiled fish, chicken and low-fat cottage cheese.

The stocks that your pet makes indicate that the rodent is malnourished. There are a number of products that are prohibited for hamsters:

• tomatoes;
• cabbage;
• citrus;
• kiwi;
• onion and garlic;
• peanuts, almonds and pine nuts;
• persimmon;
• salted, spicy, smoked and fried;
• food from the human table.

reproduction

These hamsters breed well in captivity. This period usually lasts from March to September. Animals are especially active in this regard in the first year of life. Males become sexually mature already at 6–8 weeks, females at 8–12 weeks. During one season, a female can bring 3–4 litters, in which there are from 6 to 10 cubs. Pregnancy in a rodent lasts 15–21 days.

Until the female starts to take the babies out of the nest, they should not be picked up. She may simply not accept children who smell like a man.

The cubs become independent very quickly - on the 5th day they begin to become covered with wool, and on the 10th day the eyes of the hamsters open. Keeping Campbell's hamsters at home is not much different from caring for other rodents. Carefully approach the choice of an animal, study all the issues related to its maintenance, and, most importantly, take care of your pet and love it. And he will definitely reciprocate.

Everyone wants a little ball of happiness to live in his house. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to get a dog or a cat. However, there are very cute fluffy pets that will greatly brighten up your everyday life. Campbell's hamster is a great friend and funny family member. What is the peculiarity of this breed and how to care for it?

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Breed overview

Campbell's hamster is an excellent rodent that will give any person a huge amount of positive energy and emotions. Do you want to get a pet that is easy to care for, which is famous for its pleasant appearance and is distinguished by a fairly quick habituation to hands? This fluffy animal is exactly what you are looking for. This pet is one of the representatives and got its name from Charles William Campbell. And what is the habitat of this fluffy miracle?

Habitat in nature

Campbell's hamsters are members of the genus Rough-legged hamsters. Charles Campbell is, one might say, the "inventor" of this breed. This happened because this person collected samples of a pet on the Russian-Chinese border.

This fluffy animal lives on the territory of Mongolia, and to be precise, almost throughout the entire territory of this country. And also this rodent can be found in China, namely in the north and, of course, in Russia and Kazakhstan. If we talk about the territory of Russia in more detail, then rodents can be found in Buryatia, Tuva, Transbaikalia and so on.

Appearance

Often this pet is confused with the Djungarian hamster, however, there are a number of some differences that are easy to notice with the naked eye, the main thing is to know them. These are the owners of small ears and golden brown fur. By the way, here is one of the differences. After all, Dzungarian pussies are lighter.

A feature of this breed is a dark stripe that runs along the back from the head to the tail all over the body. The abdomen has a light color with small dark stripes that, like arches, separate the abdomen from the back.

The second important feature is the absence of hair on the legs, however, white hairs can be seen on the soles. In addition, they do not change their fur in the winter season.

There are two coat color options:

• self - unchanged color on all sides without a strip on the back, only light spots on the tummy and chest are possible;
• agouti - dark color becomes lighter towards the tips, has a dark stripe on the back and a light belly with lateral lines.

Also, a feature can be called the growth of wool, because it grows at a small angle and sticks out slightly. From afar, you might think that the wool is a bit ragged. By the way, the size of the hamster is not the smallest: up to 10 cm, and the weight is about 50 grams. The muzzle is distinguished by a slightly sharp structure, as well as reddish eyes. By the way, females are slightly smaller than males.

How to distinguish Campbell's hamster from Dzungarian?

As already mentioned, these breeds of rodents are quite similar and you can distinguish them by knowing the features.

1. The first distinguishing feature is coat color: Campbell's hamsters are distinguished by more brown, sandy colors, there are slight red shades.
2. The second feature is the dorsal stripe, which is narrower in the rodents under discussion.
3. If we are already talking about wool, then these representatives have bristling wool, and the Dzungarian breed has a smooth and paid fur coat.
4. Stripes are more clearly visible on the stomach of Dzungarian hamsters.
5. Don't forget eye color. As already mentioned, the discussed representatives of the breed have red eyes.
6. By the way, if you look at the body of rodents from above, you can also distinguish these breeds. The body shape of the Dzhungariks is more ovoid, reminiscent of a small oblique oval, and the Campbell resembles a figure eight on top.

Features of care

Campbell's hamster is so small that it does not even require a particularly large aquarium to keep. Its minimum size should be 40 x 60 cm. If you want to start a whole family of these fluffies, then you need a spacious enough cage to avoid fights.

In order for the pet not to suffer from obesity, it must be let out to run. To do this, you can buy a special ball for walking. As for the location of the cage, it must be placed away from the sun, heat sources and away from drafts. However, hamsters need light, which can be a table lamp.

It is worth considering an important aspect that these rodents are nocturnal and at night they can not only eat, but also run around the cage. You need to feed your pet with special food, which consists of grains, and also give him daily vitamins in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables.

You can not give only citrus fruits, potatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and eggplant.

Do not forget about the drinker, mineral stone. Subject to all the rules, your hamster will delight you with health and beauty every day.

Photo gallery

Video "Campbell's hamster in a cage"

In this video you can see the nature and behavior of an energetic little rodent.

Campbell's hamster is one of the smallest and most lovable pet rodents. One glance at this cute creature is enough and the mood immediately rises. Give yourself and your children this little one. By the way, the kids love them. The animal does not need special care. Due to their external similarity, they are often confused with the Dzungarian ones.

The animal has a fairly rounded shape, body length up to 11 centimeters and weight up to 45 grams. A small nose gives special sophistication. The paws are so short that they can often be overlooked from under the coat, it seems that the rodent is swimming on the surface. Small ears do not prevent the fluffy from having perfect hearing.
As for the color, it may differ: blue, gray, less often black. Different places of wool can be of different colors. On the abdomen and legs, the coloration is often different. Eye color is black and red. In the second case, it will already be closer to the breed "".

It is often confused with the Djungarian hamster. They are similar not only in size, but also in shape and color. Therefore, when it comes time to choose a pet in a pet store, it often becomes a difficult task. Before buying, you can clearly define the look, but once in the store you just don’t recognize the animal. In addition, sellers often do not have sufficient qualifications and confuse not only the look, but also the gender. Therefore, you need to know the difference between the Djungarian hamster and the Campbell.
Campbell has a washed out color, it is difficult to say a specific color. But the surest sign is that the wool grows at a certain angle. The coat does not fit the animal completely, which may make it seem that it sticks out. But do not let children pluck it. Dzungaria can be recognized by the strip on the back, which becomes a rhombus on the head, and the white tummy leaves no chance of confusion.

Preparing housing for maintenance

Before buying, you need to decide where the pet will live. A terrarium of 40x60 centimeters or more is well suited for this. In nature, the fluffy is very active, so it requires a lot of free space. He prefers a larger area, although he is unlikely to refuse several floors. Before you settle a pet, everything in the terrarium needs to be prepared. There must be the following accessories:

• House. The resettlement is accompanied by stress and worries, there he will have somewhere to hide and he will quickly leave.
• Litter. A must for all rodents.
• . It will partially satisfy the natural need for activity.
• Drinker and feeder. Accordingly, to have something to drink and eat.

This is the very foundation, without which it is not even worth taking the animal home. It must be remembered that only one individual should live in one terrarium. With representatives of its own species, the behavior is very aggressive. The reason for this is that Campbell's hamsters are territorial animals that do not allow rivals into their territory. In a cell, the situation is similar, but there is nowhere to retreat. This will cause a fight between them, which often ends in injuries and even death. If you have already bought several Campbell hamsters and they live in the same cage, then a fight will soon occur. Even now, they feel stressed by the presence of competitors. Sooner or later there will be a desire to eliminate rivals.

Caring for Campbell's Hamster

Like all pets, pets require some care. If you follow it, you can significantly prolong life, maintain health and activity until old age. In general, caring for a rodent comes down to following simple rules:

• At least twice a week is required.
• When changing the bedding, some must be left in order to retain the smell of the tenant.
• Do not remove supplies from the house unless necessary (contains food that has begun to rot).
• We clean the toilet every day.
• You should never be in the water or learn to swim.
• There is always fresh water in the drinkers.
• We adhere to permitted food and limit forbidden food as much as possible.
• You must know .

Decided to buy a Campbell hamster? Keep in mind that you need to handle it very carefully. This is probably the most biting of all domestic species. Therefore, it is better to interact with him with gloves, especially at first.

We provide activity

Since the animal is very active in nature, it is necessary to provide such an opportunity at home. The minimum condition is a quality running wheel. But, as a rule, this is not enough. There remains a high level of interest. From a cage or terrarium, you can clearly see the whole room, which has not yet been explored. It is recommended to let out for a walk around the apartment. To do this, you can use, or just keep a close eye on the fluffy.
If the area of ​​​​the apartment allows, you can select a small corner for Campbell's hamster. Having made sufficiently high walls, he will not crawl beyond them. The pet will be able to get a large area for walking. For such purposes, a balcony is often used.

Nutrition

Campbell's hamster eats everything the same as the others. Recommended solid food which already includes a vitamin complex. To dilute the main diet, you need to add fresh foods, seeds, nuts. As for the daily dose, read about each product separately. The water in the drinker must be changed daily.

In the article I will consider the conditions of keeping and breeding Campbell's hamster. I will list its main features: color, size, life span, character. How long does it live and its difference from the dzhungarik. I'll tell you how to properly feed him and whether he is friends with other animals.

Characteristics of Campbell's hamster

The habitat of these animals is Mongolia, the northern part of China, Kazakhstan and Russia.

They got their name in honor of the person who discovered this species and first showed it to the world - Charles Campbell.

The length of the body together with the head varies from 7.5 to 10.5 cm, the weight is about 23-26 g. The head is rounded, the muzzle is short and sharp. The eyes are red.

There are 2 main colors of wool - agouti (the upper layer of wool is dark, gradually brightens towards the tips, a dark stripe runs along the back, stripes also pass along the sides that separate the back from the belly of white color) and self (uniform color, there is no stripe on the back, sometimes there are spots on the abdomen or breast).

Campbell's hamsters live an average of 12-18 months.

With proper care, they can live up to 2 years.

These animals are not distinguished by a complaisant character: they often bite their owners and rarely voluntarily go to the hands.

Distinctive features from dzhungarik

Campbell is often confused with Dzungarian, but if you look closely, you can distinguish the former by:

• small ears;
• the absence of a dark spot on the head;
• a distinct dark stripe on the back;
• unchanged coat color in winter.

Due to their skittish nature, these hamsters prefer to live alone. A high level of independence gives rise to their conflict, therefore, when kept together, rodents will constantly experience stress.

The size of the cage for one animal must be at least 50x30 cm.

Campbell's hamsters are especially active in the evening and at night.

For bedding in a cage, dry shavings (not coniferous trees, as they are harmful to the lungs) or ready-made corn filler are perfect. Animals make nests, for this they must be provided with unscented white napkins. Cotton wool should not be given to rodents, paws can be confused and damaged. Various pipes, ladders, labyrinths and a solid wheel with a diameter of at least 15 cm are required. To grind the animal's teeth, it is necessary to provide branches of deciduous trees.

You should not change the filler in the cage every day, hamsters are sensitive to their home and this can cause them stress.

The optimum temperature for these animals is 20-25 degrees.

According to many breeders, the Campbell is often bitten and reluctant to go to the hands of the owners. This is not only a distinctive feature of the breed, but also the result of various actions on the part of the owner, for example, a sudden movement or scream, the absence of objects for grinding teeth.

You can not take a pet by the scruff, only from below or from the side. The ideal option is to put your hand next to him so that he climbs into it himself.

You can get Campbell's hamster's favor only with an affectionate attitude: treat him with something tasty, talk to him in a calm tone, stroke him gently and carefully.

Feeding and diet

The basis of the daily nutrition of this animal is cereals. You can buy ready-made food at pet stores. You can make the mixture at home, for this, equal parts of peas, corn, wheat, nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are mixed.

You can feed your hamster any fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Prohibited:

• citrus;
• persimmon;
• garlic;
• potato;
• vegetable marrow;
• almond;
• peanut;
• fruit seeds and pits.

You can add parsley, dill, clover, lettuce to the diet.

Dried fruits and biscuits can serve as treats.

In order to diversify the pet's diet, make it more complete and balanced, it is recommended to give the hamster:

• bread;
• cottage cheese;
• unsalted wheat, semolina or oatmeal;
• boiled meat.

Campbell's hamsters turn over their food bowl, so you need to make sure that there is always fresh food in it.

But too much food should not be given, excess weight will negatively affect health.

Water needs to be changed every 1-2 days. At the same time, it is allowed to wash the drinker only with the use of soda, without detergents.

Rodent health

The list of diseases is extensive. The main task of the owner is to detect symptoms in time and immediately contact a specialist (ratologist).

Signs that your hamster is sick:

• cloudy watery eyes, discharge from them;
• decrease in activity;
• wet hair around the tail or on the abdomen;
• hair loss, scratching, wounds;
• weight loss;
• loud breathing, sneezing;
• nasal discharge;
• violation of the chair;
• refusal to eat.

The presence of at least one of the signs may indicate the development of a serious illness.

In most cases, Campbell's hamsters get sick:

• proliferative ileitis. Severe and contagious infectious disease.
• diarrhea. The reason is improper feeding or infection.
• conjunctivitis. It appears due to eye injuries (the particles of bedding get into them) and non-compliance with the conditions of detention.
• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis. Contagious viral infection. Transmitted to a person.
• Diabetes. It is characterized by increased thirst and frequent urination. Not treated. Temporary treatment includes diet and insulin injections.
• Polycystic. Not treated. Symptoms: the stomach swells, the hamster constantly lies, does not clean itself.
• Eczema. Allergy to material or filler.

Elderly individuals may develop tumors. Treated with surgery.

Breeding features

Reproduction in hamsters occurs from March to September. In one season, 4 offspring are possible. Females can become pregnant at the age of 2 to 8 months. Pregnancy lasts 18-20 days.

People who do not understand genetics and the rules for the care and maintenance of hamsters are not recommended to breed them.

With frequent incorrect matings, there is a risk of non-viable offspring.

It is forbidden to keep the female after childbirth with the male.

The maximum number of offspring per life for a female is 2, the break between them should be at least 3 months.

Mating is possible only between absolutely healthy animals, aged from 4 months to one year.

How much is a hamster

The price in Russia for one individual is 150-300 rubles.

Summing up, we can say that Campbell's hamsters are not whimsical in maintenance and care. However, they have their own characteristics and require attention and care from the owner.