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The average life of the Campbells dwarf hamster (scientific name Phodopus Campbelli) starts out at birth. The amount of time from conception to birth is very short. It lasts only a bit over two weeks. The Campbells dwarf hamster is usually born in litters of about 8 pups (the larger of all the dwarf hamster species). These babies are born hairless and tiny but they mature quickly, growing hair and opening their eyes within two weeks. When they are fully weaned, they are finally able to eat and drink on their own and no longer need the help of their mother.
At about a month in age they are sexually active, making it possible for the entire birthing process to repeat itself with a new generation every month (although it is definitely not healthy for a hamster to give birth at this age). Near the end of these guy’s lives, when they are very old, their eyesight usually suffers and cataracts can be common. In fact, as their eyesight gets worse near old age, they begin to use their scent glands more and more, even using them to mark scent-trails to follow. These guys usually live to 2 years.
The average day of the Campbells dwarf hamster begins when they wake. Being the nocturnal animals they are, this occurs in the evening. Their daily lives involve quite a few compulsive habits. A few of the major ones are chewing, running, and digging. To give you an image of these hamsters, they are very small, like to scurry around, and are very skittish. They have more energy than the energizer bunny and this only highlights their compulsive behaviors. But each of these behaviors has a purpose (unlike my compulsive behavior to twiddle my thumbs). The biting keeps their teeth in check and prevents their teeth from growing too big for their mouths. Their running is important for their survival (they can run miles every night). Their digging is also important as they live underground and dig tunnels and burrows to avoid predators.
Another compulsive behavior in the life of the Campbells dwarf hamster is, of course, that of mating (the purpose being to make babies!). These guys mate like crazy, if you’ve had a pet Campbells dwarf hamster, you might know what I’m talking about. In fact, their mating so out of control that it is considered good practice to only raise them in same sex groups. Raising a mix of boys and girls would guarantee an unwanted pregnancy.
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Source by George Grayson
