There’s a great range of sizes available among hamsters. The length and weight of the most common types of pet hamsters, on average, are 3-7 inches. Hamsters from wild populations can grow to be 16 ounces in weight and 14 inches in length.

Because of this, they are universally referred to as “pocket pets.”

Type of Hamsters or Hamster Breeds

The hamster is a popular pet all around the globe. However, you may choose from various hamster species and breeds.

Regardless of whether you want a big hamster or a small one, find your favorite breed from Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster, Mongolian Hamster, Armenian Hamster, Gansu Hamster, Romanian Hamster, Lesser Greater Long-Tailed Hamster, Long-Tailed Hamster, Turkish Hamster, Tibetan Hamster, Roborovski Hamster, Syrian Hamster, Eversmann’s Hamster, Ladak Hamster, etc.

Factors Behind Hamsters’ Size

You may wonder why these pets exist in various sizes or what factors define their overall looks and characteristics. Several factors influence the size of hamsters. The factors are:

1. Breed

There are quite a few distinct breeds of hamsters, and each of those may vary in size from relatively minor to pretty large. The most straightforward approach to estimating how big your hamster will become is to determine what breed it is and then research how big animals of that breed often develop—very few outliers regarding the weight and height ranges that have been established for each species of hamster.

It is the primary reason you are likely to come across a range of sizes, even within a single breed of an animal.

2. Genetics

Several factors determine the proper size of a hamster, genetics being one of the least important. However, it is something that can aid in the hamster’s sizing decision.

Your hamster’s size within the species range may be determined partly by its genes, albeit this is less important than the breed.

3. Gender

A number of factors determine the size. The breed is a primary one, but the hamster’s gender also has an impact.

While it is true that male hamsters tend to be larger than females, this is not always the case.

The female hamster is more likely to be smaller than the male, but the reverse is also true. Female hamsters can even tower over even the tallest males.

4. Litter Size

Small litter sizes in hamsters usually result in larger offspring than larger litter sizes. It is because each member of a small litter has a better chance of getting fed.

The number of offspring in a litter also has some bearing on how big a hamster will get. When hamster mothers have larger litters, the offspring tend to be smaller than typical. In terms of hamster size, litter size is also the most negligible factor.

Hamster Breeds and Sizes

This question—” Is a hamster a rat?”—is often misunderstood. The correct response is “no.” Because there are several different species of hamsters available as pets, you won’t need rats!

Hamsters are kept as pets, and a vast range of breeds are available, each with its own size limits. Check out this handy guide if you’re worried about how big your pet might get.

Name	About the Hamster	Weight (gram/oz)	Height(cm/inch)
Roborovski Hamster	Smallest breed	20-25 g or 0.7-0.8 oz	4.5-5 cm or 1.8-2 in
Syrian Hamster	Largest breed	145-170 g or 5-6 oz	13-18 cm or 5-7 in
Chinese Hamster	Dwarf breed	30-45 g or 1-1.6 oz	5-13 cm or 3.2-5 in
Chinese Striped Hamster	Wild breed	23-28 cm or 9-11 in	7-12 cm or 2.8-4.6 in
Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster	Stripped breed	70-90 g or 2.5-3.2 oz	6.8-9 cm or 2.7-3.5 in
Ciscaucasian Hamster	Russian and Georgian breed	60-105 g or 2-3.7 oz	23-28 cm or 9-11 in
Dwarf Campell’s Russian Hamster	Both wild and captivity breed	40-60 g or 1.4-2 oz	5-10 cm or 2-4 in
Armenian Hamster	Migratory or dwarf gray breed	30-60 g or 1-2 oz	8.4-12 cm or 3.3-4.7 in
Ladak Hamster	Tibetan breed	35-45 g or 1.2-1.6 oz	3.5-5 in or 9-13 cm
Eversmann’s Hamster	Wild breed	65-75 g or 2.3-2.6 oz	13-15 cm or 5-6 in
Lesser Long-tailed Hamster	Dwarf and long-tail breed	35-50 g or 1.2-1.7 oz	8.6-13.5 cm or 3.4-5.3 in
Gansu Hamster	Wild and long-tailed breed	65-75 g or 2.3-2.6 oz	13-15 cm or 5-6 in
Mongolian Hamster	Mongolian wild breed	65-75 g or 2.3-2.6 oz	13-15 cm or 5-6 in
Romanian Hamster	Dobrudja breed	80-115 g or 2.8-4 oz	15-18 cm or 6-7 in
Greater Long-tailed Hamster	Chinese and Korean breed	40-55 g or 1.4-2 oz	10-15 cm or 4-6 in
Turkish Hamster	Nearly extinct breed	145-170 g or 5-6 oz	13-18 cm or 5-7 in
Tibetan Hamster	Dwarf breed	35-45 g or 1.2-1.6 oz	9-11 cm or 3.5-4.4 in

Dwarf Hamster vs Syrian Hamster

From the table above, it is evident that hamsters can be of different shapes and sizes. Some are big, and some are small.

Among them, the biggest is the Syrian hamster, and the smallest is the dwarf hamster.

The length of a fully developed Syrian hamster may reach up to 8 inches, but the size of a dwarf hamster can vary anywhere from 2 to 4 inches.

Both types of hamsters can create a broad range of coat colors, which go according to the genetic makeup of the individual animals.

How Much Space Does a Hamster Need?

Hamsters are great little companion animals and are cute and inexpensive to care for. You can have hamsters even if you don’t have a massive house because they don’t need a lot of room.

A hamster cage and other necessities are readily available for purchase.

As was previously said, hamsters come in a wide variety of species.

Your hamster’s room requirements will vary depending on its breed and how old it is. Regardless of the size of your hamster, the standard cage size is 24 x 12 x 12 inches.

hamster in cage — Image credit: Veronika_Malikova, Shutterstock

Bottom Line

By now, you must have had a rough idea that there is a wide range of hamster sizes and weights. There is a species or gender effect on these two morphological characteristics of the hamster.

To know what to expect from the different kinds of hamsters, it’s helpful to know how big they get from when they’re young until they’re adults.

We recommend that you think about how much space you can give your pet hamster and bring home a cute hamster based on that.

How Big Do Hamsters Get? Here Is a Complete Breakdown of Hamster Sizes by Breed

How Big Is a Hamster?