Hamsters may be known for many great things, including their furry bodies, playful nature, and pocket size. However, longevity is not one of their best features. They live short but sweet and action-packed lives.
The longest-living hamster lived for about ten years, which exceeds expectations. Life expectancy for hamsters is usually no more than three years. Hamsters in the wild can rarely live over a year, while in captivity with no predators, they can expect to live only slightly longer.
Continue reading to learn about the lifespans of different hamster breeds and what factors affect their longevity. The more you know about your hamsters’ life expectancy, the better you’ll be at taking care of them.
What Is the Longest Living Hamster Breed?
The longest-living hamster breed is the Syrian golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). It holds the record for living over ten years. It is the most common pet hamster and among the largest hamsters in the world.
The Syrian hamster is an extraordinary example of hamster longevity. This highly adaptive animal managed to survive all predators and harsh weather conditions to continue going strong for a decade. This only goes to show the biological and genetic potential of hamsters to live long lives.
Hamster Breeds Longevity
The following is a list of popular hamster breeds kept as pets. I’ve arranged them according to their life expectancy, from the longest-living to the shortest-living hamster. Although dwarf hamsters are predominant, the oldest hamster belonged to the Syrian hamster breed, which is also rather large.
Syrian Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)
Syrian golden hamsters live up to 3 years. However, a hamster of this breed has lived for over a decade in the wild. This fact places them first on this list.
Golden hamsters are characterized by their large body size. Their fur is usually brown, yellow, or white.
The Chinese Striped Hamster (Cricetulus barabensis)
According to Richard Weigl’s Longevity of Mammals in Captivity, one Chinese striped hamster lived for 5.3 years in captivity. Five years is a long period for a hamster to live, considering the average life expectancy is no more than three years.
As the name suggests, this dwarf hamster is recognizable by their long dark stripe along the back. The color of the fur is brownish with gray areas.
Roborovski Hamsters (Phodopus roborovskii)
The Roborovski hamsters are among the longest-living hamsters. They could live for over 4.8 years in captivity. It is no surprise that in the wild, among predators and parasites, they usually live no more than 1.5 years.
This popular pocket pet has light-brown fur. It has characteristic white spots above the eyes where the eyebrows would go.
The European Hamster (Cricetus cricetus)
The European hamster lives around three years in captivity. According to some accounts, they can live up to 4 years in the wild.
This hamster is the largest hamster on this list, surpassing even the Syrian hamster. Its fur is brown and white, and it has a black belly and chest.
Chinese Hamster (Cricetulus griseus)
Chinese hamsters live 2.5–3.0 years on average. They have the typical hamster life expectancy and are notable for the typical black stripe running along their brown backs. Another recognizable feature of this hamster is its long tail, which is uncommon for a hamster.
Russian Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster (Phodopus campbelli)
The Campbell’s hamster typically lives anywhere between 1.5 – 3 years. Their age fits the average life of a hamster. No older exceptions have been recorded for this breed.
The Russian Campbell’s hamster has light fur in brown or grey tones. The belly is cream or white. Its stand-out features are its uncommonly small ears.
Djungarian or Russian Winter Hamster (Phodopus sungorus)
The Djungarian hamster generally lives a little bit over a year. It is probably the shortest-living hamster. However, according to records, some members of this breed lived up to 2 years.
It is a pocket pet with an adorably round body. Its fur is grey with a dark stripe. The Russian hamster’s magical transformation happens in winter when its fur turns white. It is, however, uncommon for the fur to change color in captivity since there is no reason for it to blend with the snowy environment indoors.
What Was the Longest Living Hamster?
The longest-living hamster reportedly lived for over ten years. It was a Syrian golden hamster. Other breeds with more-than-average life expectancy are the Chinese striped hamster, Roborovski hamster, and European hamster.
Following different breeds, one might arrive at different ages. Besides the rare case of the decade-old Syrian hamster, other examples of long-living hamsters never surpass 4-5 years of age. It’s interesting to know that a hamster that lived to be five equals a person who is 100+ years old in terms of its rarity.
What Is the Longest-Living Syrian Hamster?
The longest-living Syrian hamster is thought to have lived for ten years. We generally know that the Syrian hamster breed is more likely to live longer than the dwarf breed. This hamster breed regularly lives up to 3 years if kept in the right conditions.
The right conditions primarily include a warm place with plenty of nutritious food. Keeping the hamsters away from small children and high places is also essential. To ensure that the hamster lives to old age, make plenty of opportunities for playing and don’t put the hamster in situations where it becomes stressed.
It is important to note that most of the information we have about the life spans of hamsters comes from animals in captivity. Hamsters are often found in labs and zoos. Had we analyzed hamsters in the wild, we may have seen more variation in their lifespans.
What Is the World Record for the Longest-Living Hamster?
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest living-hamster lived for 4.5 years. Little is known about this record-holder. We only know that Karen Smeaton was his caregiver and that they lived in the UK in Tyne & Wear county in North East England.
Arguably, other hamsters may have surpassed this record, but they remained unnoticed, or their caregivers failed to apply for the Guinness Book of World Records.
Can Hamsters Live 20 Years?
Hamsters cannot live for 20 years. There are a few examples of hamsters living for one decade. However, the average life expectancy is under five years.
Generally, small animals tend to have short lives. It may be due to their fast metabolism or the fact that they face more predators than big animals. Hamsters are not an exception to this rule.
Other rodents are more likely to live 20 years. Rodentia includes animals such as the naked mole rat, beaver, porcupine, and squirrel, all known to live for over 20 years. Typically, the bigger the rodent, the longer it lives.
Hamster Years to Human Years
To get the formula that translates hamster years to human, we use the hamster’s entire lifespan, including its reproductive age or onset of geriatric diseases. It has been calculated that one human year equals 13.67 hamster days. In other words:
- A two-week-old hamster corresponds to a human toddler.
- At 4.5 months of age, the hamster is like a human 10-year-old child.
- A 3.8-year-old hamster is comparable to a centenarian.
It is important to draw parallels between hamsters and us regarding age. Rodents, including hamsters and mice, are used in lab research to find the cause or cure for human diseases. Therefore, we have to put their age into perspective.
How Long Do Hamsters Usually Live?
Hamsters have relatively short life spans, especially when compared to other mammals. Hamsters live for two to three years in captivity, on average. They can sometimes expect to live up to 5 years.
In the wild, hamsters can barely survive their first year. This short lifespan made them adapt to reproduce at an enormous speed in the first year of their lives. When you live as briefly as hamsters, no days are in vain. You can always expect action and entertainment from these small rodents.
After the first year, a hamster is old. Its reproduction stops functioning, and it becomes prone to geriatric diseases.
Most hamsters start their reproductive lives as early as 2 to 4 months of age. The reproductive life lasts for a year and a half. This is important for such short-living creatures, as it allows them to reproduce for more than half of their lives.
There are differences among hamster breeds, but also between the two sexes. In the same breed, female hamsters are likelier to live longer than male hamsters. Female life expectancy is around 34 months, whereas male counterparts live for approximately 31 months.
The reason may be the biological characteristics of both genders. Specifically, estrogen, in combination with antioxidant genes, slows down the aging process. This is true for mammals in general.
Final Thoughts
Some hamster species live longer than others. Their longevity also depends on their sex and whether they are in captivity or the wild. Hamsters are beloved pets and it is not easy to accept just how short their lives are. Whatever their life expectancy is, hamsters live fulfilled lives and help us humans find happiness in their presence.