Roborovski Dwarf Hamster Lifespan: A Complete Guide
Without the proper idea about the causes of lifespan reduction of a Roborovski dwarf hamster, you can’t provide them with appropriate life care. Due to predators, stress levels, and cold winters, their mortality rate is higher in the wild.
However, let’s know the Roborovski dwarf hamster lifespan: a complete guide. Normally, the lifespan of an average Robo hamster is around 2-3 years. But in the wild, they can live up to 1-2 years or less than that. Yet, in captivity, with excellent care of owners, they can live as long as 4 years.
Throughout this article, we will enlighten you about the longevity of this small rodent. You will also learn about the factors that are responsible for their reduction in life expectancy and how to expand the expectancy. Hence, keep reading till the end.
How Long Can Roborovski Dwarf Hamster Live?
According to the hamster’s living conditions, their lifespan may vary slightly. They generally die at a younger age in the wild than in captivity.
In the wild, they are prey to several predators like snakes, weasels, foxes, and owls. Also, the higher level of parasitic load and harsh weather in the wild, make them suffer a lot. As a result, the hamsters will die below 2 years old.
However, in captivity, due to the proper care of their owners, they might live as long as 3-4 years. But on average, a Robo hamster’s lifespan is approximately 2-3 years. Though it might seem less to you, if you convert their hamster age into human ages, you can compare their age well.
Generally, 13.67 days of hamster is equivalent to 1 year in human ages. Thus, 2- 3 years old will be as old as a 53-80-year-old human.
Factors That Reduce Robo Hamster’s Life Expectancy
Several causes will reduce the Robo or desert hamsters’ longevity. Let’s know about those factors more:
Dental Issues
These hamsters have the habit of chewing things to prevent the overgrowth of their incisors. But if somehow their incisors get too long, that can cause their inability in chewing and swallowing food.
Digestive Diseases
Desert hamsters aren’t as prone to digestive issues as other hamster breeds. Rarely, they may get digestive issues like wet tails, diarrhea, etc. These may cause severe dehydration in their body and they can die within 24-48 hours from the revelation of the first symptom, without treatment.
Injury
Unlike other hamsters, this breed can live together with same-sex cage mates from a young age. Still, they may get into fights and can cause severe injury to each other which may reduce their vitality.
Bone Fracture Or Crushing
Due to their high activity, they fall easily and get injured from any of their playing accessories in the cage. Also, if the owners aren’t experienced enough, they may drop these hamsters easily which can cause bone fractures.
Mites And Allergies
They are quite prone to parasitic attacks on their sensitive skin. This problem occurs when their surroundings are not clean. Also, if they live in pairs, if one gets affected, it may spread this to other cagemates too.
Eye Bulges
Eye bulges are a serious problem for the desert hamster as they can become blind due to this. And because of this issue, they may also face difficulty while eating and go through severe weight loss.
Tumor Or Cancer
This rodent breed has higher susceptibility toward tumors and cancer. Any genetic disorders, defects, or predispositions can be the prime reasons for that. Besides, inbreeding can also be responsible for tumor or cancer issues among young desert hamsters.
Methods To Expand Roborovski Dwarf Hamster Life Expectancy
With proper care, you can easily expand the lifespan of your pet Robo hamster. Here are the tips for that:
Appropriate Housing
The cage for the hamster should be spacious enough for them. Generally, for a single desert hamster, pick a cage of a minimum of 24″ L ×12″W×12″ H.
When you put more than one Robo hamster in the cage, for each hamster, increase the dimensions by 0.5x. You can keep the height the same if you want because, for your pets, floor space will matter more than the cage’s height.
Suitable Environment
Don’t place their case in any place with excessive noise or activity. Besides, keep them within 20°-24°C temperature and away from direct sunlight. Also, you need to clean their cages, and bedding 1-2 times every week.
Balanced Diet
Offer them seed or hamster pelleted food to fulfill their nutrition requirements of 12%-15% of protein and 3%-6% of fat. Besides, you need to offer them treats like fresh apples, spinach, cabbage, bananas, mealworms, etc.
Adequate Exercise
The desert hamster runs almost 6 miles every night in the wild. That’s why, in captivity, you also need to provide them with an equivalent exercise method. So, place a running wheel of 5-7 cm diameter in their cage.
Chewing Toys
Provide them with adequate chewing material like wooden accessories, paper towel rolls, etc. Make sure any of the toys you are providing aren’t made of any toxic materials.
Proper Veterinary Care
If you find any symptoms of sickness in your Robo hamster, consult a vet shortly. They will prescribe necessary antibiotics or antiparasitics and treatment to cure your hamster.
Check this Youtube video to have a better idea about Roborovoski hamster care:
FAQs
In this FAQs section, we will answer multiple familiar questions about the Robo hamster and its longevity.
Q: Why Robo Hamsters Have Smaller Lifespans Than Dogs?
As the Robo hamsters are smaller and more active than dogs, the former ones have higher metabolic rates. As a result, this hamster has a higher aging rate and lower lifespan than the dogs.
Q: Is It Safe For Robo Hamsters If Children Handle Them?
Children can handle this hamster safely unless children are 8+. As the Robo hamsters are quite small and fast, younger children below 8 may not handle them properly.
Q: How To Confirm Whatever My Robo Hamsters Are Adult Or Not?
You can check its size and weight to confirm its adulthood. Generally, in their adulthood, they will weigh around 20-25 gm, and their size will be almost 4.5-5 cm.
Conclusion
The Robo hamsters are prone to different types of diseases that reduce their vitality. Their small size and high activity level make them pretty susceptible to bone fractures and injury. In this article, we already discussed the Roborovski dwarf hamster lifespan: a complete guide.
Typically, their life expectancy differs due to the level of care, environmental conditions, and food availability. Thus, in the wild, they can’t survive more than 1-2 years. But in captivity, if you provide them with appropriate living conditions and care, they may live up to 3-4 years.
