Temperament / Activity Level
There are not much difference in temperament between the genders of Syrian hamsters.
As with all hamsters, you should expect them to be tamed and trusting of their owner.
The most distinct difference would be in their activity level:
Females tend to be more active and mischievous - they would prefer more freedom in terms of larger cage or longer roaming/playpen duration. Males on the other hand, tend to be more laid back and mellow - would prefer to snuggle up instead of roaming around.
Of course, all hamsters should maintain their fitness and be active on wheels. Most of the time, they prefer to run in wee hours of the night when it is dark and quiet - do not worry if you do not see your hamsters running; they probably does when you are not around.
Smell / Discharge
Female hamsters come in heat every 4/5 days and during their estrus cycle, they release a musky and rather pungent odor as well as some white discharge. The scent may be overwhelming for some owners, thus do take note of that should you want to adopt a female Syrian. In our experience though, the smell do improve with a good diet that includes flowers.
Amid the cycle, females freeze when touched and their tail goes up into a position whereby they allow males to mate with them. However, please refrain from deliberately touching your females for non-breeding purposes. They do expend lots of energy from standing firm to allow potential mating.
As for males, they tend to have the habit to masturbate using their hands or mouth. At times, they may also ejaculate white discharges as known as semen. This is natural, hence you should just leave your hamster be when you caught them in the act. If needed, you can wet a tissue and wipe their discharge off. Most of the time though, they consume it.
Size
In comparison with long hair and short hair Syrians, short hair Syrians tend to have larger in size. This is likely due to the fact that they needed less protein for their fur, ergo the protein they consume goes to other body parts.
Between male and female Syrians of the same fur length, female Syrians tend to be larger based on a higher estrogen level. Long hair Syrians, especially males, also need additional care for their fur. Such as daily combing using a soft toothbrush, and if there is bedding stuck onto their fur - a small trim.
Looking at physical appearances, male Syrians have visible testicles on their behind - which people often mistook as buttocks. Some may feel awkward holding onto a hamster and having the distinct feeling on their testicles on their hands, so this could be a point for you to consider in regards to gender. Frankly, especially with long hair males, it is less obvious as their fur tend to hide their testicles in terms of physicality and touch.
Hope this post clarifies the differences between male and female Syrians!
Which gender do you prefer?
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