Syrian or chinese

[Fizzgig]

Hi! I've been researching hamsters for a long time now, and I'm finally at the stage of picking what species I should start off with! Either 1 Syrian or 2 Chinese, I plan to house my ham/hams in a detolf tank! Please help!

[souffle]

It is unlikely your Chinese would stay together and in fact would advise you don't even attempt it if you were thinking of it.
We have both and they are very different in character. Chinese tend to be much shyer and we see less of them. Syrians are more hands on, bigger and enjoy being out and about and handled.
The choice is yours though

[Jeir]

I'd say Syrian for the first hamster. They're larger and slower than their Chinese and dwarf cousins, making them easier to handle, and tend to have more confidence than the shy Chinese hammies. With one, you'd also be able to focus your energy on getting to know him or her and forming a strong bond.

If you do decide Chinese, though, it may be better to get just the one. Hamsters don't actually need to be in pairs or groups (and many who are kept in them eventually fall out with each other) as they have their human for any company they may need. Vectis is a breeder of Chinese hams, so you should check out their page: Clicky.

[cypher]

I agree with the others, it's pretty generally accepted now that Chinese are solitary so if you do go Chinese just the one.
I'd give some thought to what you want & expect from your ham before deciding, the two species are so very different, also require different kinds of set up although a Detolf would be fine for either.
Syrians tend to be quicker to tame (generally, there are exceptions to every rule!) Chinese being more timid they do require much more patience although they are a joy once they come out of their shells. They are very, very fast too so as Jeir says, a syrian is probably the better choice if you have no previous experience with hams.

[Coco61]

I have replied to your other thread asking about breeder/rescue hams. It is very good that you are doing all this research first. I agree with the others. Consider what you have been told by those that know. A Syrian is the best first choice but it will be your decision. After all when you see some hammies one may steal your heart!

[Fluffagrams]

Originally Posted by Fizzgig

Hi! I've been researching hamsters for a long time now, and I'm finally at the stage of picking what species I should start off with! Either 1 Syrian or 2 Chinese, I plan to house my ham/hams in a detolf tank! Please help!

As much as I adore Chinese Hamsters, I have to agree with the others who suggest that a Syrian is probably a better option if you're new to keeping hamsters. Chinese Hamsters can be very shy and that can make the taming process a little bit slower but once they are tame they can be so loving.

Again, I agree that two Chinese shouldn't be kept together as most will fall out at some point. When I first got them, I was told by the pet shop that they'd be fine together as they were brothers but eventually they fell out and the smaller of the two ended up with some nasty injuries. It could have been much worse if my sister wasn't around to separate them and since then I will try to put people off of keeping two Chinese Hamsters together.