Hamsters have long been considered to be great pets. These pets are fairly easy to care for even if they do require a bit of a commitment.
You might be thinking of getting a pet hamster sometime soon. It can be a great experience so long as you’re ready for the responsibility.
If you’ve never owned a hamster before you might be curious about their size. You know that hamsters aren’t supposed to be huge, but how big do they get exactly?
There Are Different Types of Hamsters
Not all hamsters are going to be the same size. It’s important to understand that there are different types of hamsters out there that you can purchase.
Some hamster types will be a bit larger than others. So you need to look up specific information about the types of hamsters that you’re interested in.
Below, you’ll get some information about some of the most popular and common hamsters. This will give you a good idea of how big these hamsters get and what to expect.
How Big Do Syrian Hamsters Get?
Syrian hamsters are incredibly cute and they might be the most popular hamster type overall. These hamsters are the largest types that are popularly kept as pets.
You’ll often find these hamsters being sold under the names “golden hamsters” and “teddy bear hamsters.” They grow to be between five and seven inches long at maturity.
A healthy Syrian hamster will weigh between 5.1 and 6 ounces. So these are pretty big hamsters overall.
There are some Syrian hamsters that are a bit smaller, though. For example, there is a Syrian hamster variant known as the Peewee hamster that is quite small and grows to be less than an inch long.
The Peewee hamster isn’t commonly seen in the pet trade. So the Syrian hamsters that you’ll be choosing from are all large as far as hamsters go.
How Big Do Dwarf Hamsters Get?
Dwarf hamsters vary in size quite a bit, but they’re generally going to be a lot smaller than the Syrian hamsters mentioned above. This category of hamsters encompasses many different types of hamsters.
For example, the Roborovski hamster is the smallest hamster that is kept as a pet and it’s considered to be a dwarf hamster.
Roborovski hamsters grow to be around two inches long at maturity. Some of them will be a bit shy of two inches, though.
These little hamsters don’t weigh all that much either. A roborovski hamster will only weigh between 0.7 and 0.9 ounces when kept in good health.
Dwarf Campbell’s Russian hamsters are a different story. These hamsters reach sizes between two and four inches in length and they weigh between 1.5 and 2 ounces.
Dwarf winter white Russian hamsters grow to be between 2.7 and 3.5 inches long. They weigh between 0.7 and 1.6 ounces.
So there is quite a bit of variance when looking at dwarf hamster breeds. They are indeed smaller than the Syrian hamsters you learned about earlier, but some of them can still grow to be sort of big.
How Big Do Chinese Hamsters Get?
Chinese hamsters are very popular and they’re also incredibly cute. You might find these to be some of the most appealing pet hamsters.
The average size of a Chinese hamster is between 3.2 and 5 inches long. So they’re bigger than most dwarf hamsters that you’ll find on the market.
A Chinese hamster should weigh between 1.1 and 1.6 ounces when it’s in good health. Some people consider these hamsters to be dwarf hamsters as well, but it’s worth learning about them since they’ve become so popular as pets.
One thing that helps these hamsters to stand out is that they have long tails. Their tails are much longer than other hamsters and some people are drawn to their unique look.
How Big Do Armenian Hamsters Get?
Armenian hamsters are another type of dwarf hamster. It’s a rather popular hamster, though, and many people know them better as dwarf gray hamsters.
These little hamsters make good pets and they don’t grow to be too large. An Armenian hamster will be between 3.3 and 4.7 inches long on average.
The hamster should weigh between 1.1 and 2.0 ounces so long as it’s maintaining a healthy weight. This is a hamster that is fairly large for a dwarf hamster, but it’s a great option to pick as a pet.
You can actually spot these little hamsters in the wild in parts of Asia and Europe. They’re rather pretty and it’s common to find them being sold in pet stores throughout North America.
How Fast Do They Grow?
You’ll find that hamsters grow pretty fast. This is because they only live for around two years.
Since they don’t have long lives they will reach their full size faster than some other types of animals. Also, they will reach sexually maturity in just a few months.
Some types of hamsters will be fully grown and sexually mature once they’re three months old. Other hamster types might take up to eight months to reach full maturity.
Regardless, you should know that hamsters grow fast. They need to reach sexual maturity fast so they can mate and carry on their genes.
How Much Do They Weigh?
The weight of hamsters will differ based on the type that you buy. Hamsters don’t generally weigh too much, though.
Syrian hamsters are the largest and they can weigh as much as six ounces. Many dwarf hamsters weigh less than an ounce, but some might weigh two ounces or more.
It’s important to know the average weight of the type of hamster that you own. You can use this as a guideline to help keep your hamster in the right condition.
Allowing your hamster to become overweight is not going to be wise. This will lead to various health issues that could wind up cutting the hamster’s life short.
To keep hamster weight under control it’s best to give the hamster toys to play with. You should also make sure that you’re not overfeeding the hamster or giving it too many snacks instead of focusing on healthy foods.
How Do You Know If Your Hamster Is Fully Grown?
Typically, you just look up information about how long a hamster takes to reach its full size. Most hamsters will be fully grown after three to eight months.
You can look up how large hamsters are supposed to be based on the species that you purchased. For example, if you buy a Syrian hamster you’ll know that it’s supposed to be between five and seven inches long.
If the hamster is somewhere in that range it might be fully grown. If your hamster is older than eight months it’s unlikely that it’s going to grow any longer.
Not every hamster is going to reach the upper echelon of growth potential for their species. Some hamsters might be a little smaller while some might be slightly larger.
How to Help Hamsters Grow
Helping your hamster grow is simply about caring for it normally. Give the hamster a good environment where it can live happily.
Ensure that the hamster cage is the right size and that the hamster has plenty of toys to play with. This will encourage the hamster to exercise and stay strong.
Give the hamster healthy types of food without going overboard. Overfeeding a hamster will only lead to weight problems and that might make the hamster die an early death.
Feed your hamster high-quality foods while meeting its other needs. Ensure that the hamster always has access to clean drinking water.
The hamster should grow at a steady pace and it’ll reach full size in a matter of months. Continue to care for your hamster and enjoy keeping it as a pet for several years.
Which Type of Hamster Is Best?
You learned quite a bit about hamsters, but perhaps you’re having a hard time picking one out. Which hamster type is the best to get as a pet?
Truly, this comes down to personal preference. Some people like certain types of hamsters better simply because they enjoy the way that they look.
Many people say that the Syrian hamster is the best one to buy as a beginner. These hamsters are the largest pet hamsters, but they’re also the easiest to handle.
It’s simple to tame these hamsters and they don’t mind being handled so long as you’re gentle with them. It also helps that these hamsters seem to be the least likely to bite out of all of the popular pet hamster options.
Some people like that these hamsters are a little slower than some of the smaller hamsters. Since they’re slow they can be easier to catch if they happen to get loose while you’re handling them.
So it might be good to choose a Syrian hamster. This doesn’t mean that the other options are bad, though.
You can have a great time caring for a dwarf hamster, a Chinese hamster, or an Armenian hamster. Just choose whichever option appeals the most to you.
Final Thoughts
Hamsters are pets that don’t get too big overall. This doesn’t mean that some hamsters aren’t bigger than others, though.
The biggest pet hamsters are definitely the Syrian hamsters. These hamsters grow to be between five and seven inches long on average.
Other hamster types are generally a good bit smaller. Dwarf hamsters can be less than two inches long, but some might be four inches long.
You should choose which hamster you wish to buy based on many factors. Buy a hamster that you’ll feel comfortable caring for and it’s also nice to enjoy the overall look of the hamster.
For most people, Syrian hamsters will be the easiest hamsters to care for. It’s fine to pick other hamster types as well, though.
You can have a great experience caring for any of the popular pet hamster types. Whether you buy a Chinese hamster or a Roborovski hamster it should be a great time.
Just do your best to care for these little pets properly. They need good care so they can survive and thrive in your home.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.