The Roborovski hamster (or desert hamster) is native to Mongolia, Russia and northern China, where it lives in sandy deserts and semi-arid zones. They dig deep burrows almost 2 metres underground in which they store food and build a nest. The Roborovski hamster is a sociable animal and lives in small groups. It has the characteristic of being able to concentrate urine strongly, as an adaptation to the dry environment in which it evolved.
At only 5 cm long, it is the smallest of the hamsters kept as pets, but precisely because of its smallness and extremely skittish behaviour, it is the least suited to being handled.
The Roborovski hamster is a stocky animal, with a structure similar to that of the Russian hamster, a short tail and short limbs that are covered with hair even on the inferior aspect. This animal has a thick golden-brown dorsal coat, whereas the undercoat is dark. The lower half of the body is white. The eyes are black and round and two small white marks above the eyes give the animal a characteristic expression. The mean lifespan of this hamster is 3-3.5 years, although it can live for longer.
Like other dwarf hamsters, the Roborovski hamster has one ventral scent gland, which serves to mark its territory, and cheek pouches to transport food.
Roborovski hamsters are very active and jittery and can easily escape from the hands. If they fall to the ground and run away they are difficult to recapture, since they are very fast. Some individuals are docile and will allow themselves to be handled without problem, whereas others remain refractory to every attempt to tame them.
Physiological parameters
| Lifespan | 3-3 ½ years |
| Weight of adult | 14-20 g |
| Lenght | 5 cm |
Reproductive parameters
| Sexual maturity | 4 ½ months |
| Reproductive potential of the female | 1-1,5 years |
| Duration of pregnancy | 20-22 days |
| Pups per litter | 3-6 |
| Age at weaning | 20 days |