Should I get a Winter White or Syrian Hamster?

[Svki]

Hello!

I'm 15 and I want to get my first hamster. After researching, I've narrowed down the hamster breeds to a Winter White and a Syrian hamster. I know that Syrian hamsters are the easiest to tame, but I've also read that Winter Whites are easy to tame as well. I'm leaning more towards WW because they are smaller, but I want to get the right breed since I'm a beginner.

Do you think I should get a WW or a Syrian hamster?

Thank you for your time and consideration!!

[YaBoi]

I would suggest a Syrian as they aren’t only easy to tame but are known for being for beginners I’m a beginner myself and love my Syrian I would suggest a short haired Syrian because bedding always gets stuck in my hamsters fur and he is squirmy so he is difficult to brush anyway(he is a long haired)... I think a Syrian would be better because the are slower animals so easier to watch when u have them out to play and there easier as u said,because of there size winter whites r close to the size of robo’s which is super small it’s like how u use LEGO duplo before legos you know?anyways...best of luck!

[Fluffagrams]

I personally don't think there is no such thing as the best hamster for beginners as a lot will depend on the hamster's individual personality, which in many cases you're not going to know when you buy them. My Chinese, for example have been far easier to tame than and of the Syrians I've had and they've also been far more affectionate and loving but yet some people find that they can be shy and hard to tame.

There are Pros and Cons to every species and I think that whilst sometimes they can help you to make a decision, I think that it's best to wait and see what captures your attention when you go to choose a hamster.

A Syrian is larger than a Winter White and some people may find this easier to handle as they're less likely to slip out of your hands but that larger size also means that they have more power to wriggle out of your hands. They tend to move slower than the dwarf species but they will need larger toys in their cages which may be difficult to find in some pet shops. They do however come in a variety of colours and coat types and are the ones that you're most likely to find for sale in pet shops.

A Winter White is smaller and you can often get away with buying the toys that are actually marketed at Hamsters rather than having to buy rat or guinea pig toys. However I think it's worth mentioning that pretty much all of the hamsters sold as Winter Whites in pet shops are actually Hybrids and are very likely to have some Campbells in their ancestry. This Hybridisation can make certain health problems more likely such as Diabetes and Neurological Problems, however if they're not affected by these then there is no reason why they shouldn't make a lovely pet. Pure Winter Whites only come in three colours and one fur type. To be sure of getting a Pure Winter White you'll need to go direct to a breeder who be able to give you a pedigree outlining your hamster's ancestry.

[cypher]

Russian hams are no harder to tame than syrian hams so that needn't be a concern really.
Do bear in mind that a syrian will need more space & much bigger toys, house, wheel etc, a Russian ham will usually be fine in a cage around the 80x50cm mark while a Syrian will most often need something bigger than that, a Russian will be fine with an 8" wheel while a Syrian will need a 10-12" wheel so give some thought to how much space you can provide your ham with.
Russian's are obviously smaller than Syrians & they are faster but they aren't really that hard to handle.
As Fluffagrams has said a Winter White will only be available from a breeder, pet shop hams are hybrids which can be prone to some health problems but they still make the most adorable pets & many are perfectly healthy so that doesn't have to be a major concern.