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Old 02-21-2020, 05:49 AM  
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Hybrids vs purebreds

No-one ever can predict how long a hamster will live. Hybrids are more prone to diabetes so a sugar free diet is best. All hamsters are susceptible to disease as they age - anything from 15 months onwards. A hybrid may have a genetic predisposition to something - but then so can most hamsters if the breeding background has not been good. Very sad that your last hammy had a ruptured eye at 1 year old. If it wasn't caused by an accident then it suggests an internal tumour may have affected the eye.

So I think the thing to bear in mind is genes are just "luck" in terms of lifespan. The main predisposition for hybrids is diabetes.

I am not exactly sure of the expected lifespan of a pedigree dwarf hamster. I know for Syrians it is supposed to be 18 months to 2.5 years generally (some live till 3). And robos are supposed to live longer and can live up to 5 years. But it doesn't always follow. Both our last Syrians lived to 2 years eight months, but our Robo got cancer at 18 months and didn't survive until he was 2.

Robos are a pure species of dwarf hamster. Russian dwarfs are a hybrid of winter white and Campbells (unless from a breeder and known to be a pure Winter white or Campbells).
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