Black Bear hamsters are a very unique type of Syrian hamster. Black Bear hamsters are actually a type of Teddy Bear (or long-haired Syrian) hamster that was originally bred for its black fur markings. Black Bear hamsters are fairly popular today for people that value the unuique markings and gentle temperament commonly seen in most Black Bear hamsters.
HISTORY
The Black Bear hamster was first discovered as a breed variation in 1985. This was marked as being a genome mutation, and was not yet a legitimate breed. Black Bear hamsters got their name from the similarities between their appearance (black fur and white markings, thick coat) and the appearance of large black bears. The Black Bear hamster is today recognized as being a legitimate hamster breed by a large number of hamster lovers.
TEMPERAMENT
It is said that Black Bear hamsters were originally bred for their larger size and gentle nature. As such, many people believe that Black Bear hamsters have a much more docile and gentle temperament than most other species of hamsters. Though this is not officially confirmed by documented testing, Black Bear hamsters do seem to tolerate handling and stressful situations much better than other species of hamsters.
BEHAVIOR
Since Black Bear hamsters are more relaxed than some other species of hamsters, they do require a bit more exercise in order to prevent obesity. This can be accomplished by placing an exercise wheel with a wide diameter in your Black Bear hamster’s cage. In addition to this, you may want to purchase a plastic exercise ball that will allow your hamster to exercise while outside of their cage. Due to their large size and agreeable temperament, it is sometimes possible to purchase a small leash and harness for taking your Black Bear hamster out of their cage for extended periods of time. Black Bear hamsters can often be easily handled, without nipping or biting (as long as you are gentle). For small children, Black Bear hamsters often make a good first pet.
APPEARANCE
Typically, the Black Bear hamster displays a black fur coloration that extends over the majority of their body, with some white markings appearing on the belly, paws and face. Black Bear hamsters can grow from 5 to 6 inches long at their adult size, depending on their genetics and level of care. Black Bear hamsters usually have a thick, slightly glossy coat of fur.
26 Responses to “Black Bear Hamsters Care”
how long does it take a black hamster to fully grow?
I also have a male black bear hamster named chomper even though he doesnt bite at all. Love him to death. He’s so cute and very very sweet. Doesn’t mind being held. Although he likes to move a lot. He loves to talk I don’t think all black bears talk. I think I just found a very out spoken one thats ok though I find it very cute. There fun loving affectionate creatures. I tried out different hamsters and I found them to be mean or uncomfortable with human interactions. I defiantly recommend a black bear hamster for anyone who’s looking for a great hamster. There also good with kids. I have an 9 year old brother and he just loves the hamster.
I just got a black bear male hamster today for a little bit of a late Christmas present. I named him Comet, and let me just say, for the thirty minutes that I have had him, he is the sweetest thing in the whole entire world. I sooo cute! I would recommend a male black bear hamster to anyone.
I had an albino female who recently passed away and she was the most affectionate hamster I have had. she enjoyed cuddling me and just friendly to everyone. My new black bear male on the other trys to nip me often but can be gentle. I prefer albino hamster!
i have a male black bear hampster. . .. he is the sweetest little guy . id say the only time they bite is when they smell food on your hands….you usually need tohold them/ play with them fo atleast a half hour a day…just saying black best xD
i just bought a black bear hamster from a pet store, and she is pregnant. this is my first time having a hamster and i just want to know are they normally hyper and climbing in the cage.. i call her spider hamster cause she is usually hanging off the top of the cage. is that normal for black bear hamsters
yes i just got my hamster and she does that all the time totally cute
i recently just bought two black bear hamsters barely a month old.. one is a male and the other is a female. lately, the male hamster been chasing the female around, ain’t sure if it’s fighting or playing, in occasion i do hear squeaking sound, im not sure whether i should separate them. Advice anyone?
Oh, im currently using habitrail studio planning to link it to a habitrail loft. i heard that they can grow pretty big, Is my cage good to go or should i look at another kind?
To Allie
I think you hamster just needs a little alone time. After it is used to you and your scent I am sure it will warm up to you.
I have two female black bear hamsters and one is the sweetest thing and the other is the complete opposite. I got them together and they did just fine together in one cage but then all of a sudden the mean one would fight the other one and then I found the nice one with a hole in her ear! So i had to separate them.
I just bought a black bear hamster a few hours ago and he doesn’t seem to match the other descriptions of his breed. So far he tries to bite and charge at me from in his cage. Could it be that he’s under stress from traveling and needs to adjust or is it likely I got one of the few mean hamsters?
I’ve got a Black bear, I love him so Much! However even though he never bites and let’s me stroke him , black bear hamsters tend to not like being held but mine is lovely! He’s a gorgeous hamster. I say to everyone get a black bear- but they are very big! You need a big cage otherwise it’s cruel. If you wanna know more about them I’l tell you more, add me on twitter- footykid13
btw it’s just luck if pet shops have black bears most of the time they have Teddy bear syrians!
I have a Syrian (or teddy bear) & a black bear (both male, kept in separate cages). My Syrian is much calmer & takes handling better. He will even fall asleep in my hand. He is very sweet. My black bear bites & nips constantly no matter how careful I am with him. I prefer my Syrian.
Black Bear hamsters ARE Syrian just a different color. We’ve had ours for almost a month and they’re both very lovable and never try to bite. I guess it depends on how much you hold them. My bf loves to hold and cuddle them and they both don’t seem to mind it at all.
We just realized that one is male and the other is female (even tho the female is much bigger). They’ve been in the same cage since before we bought them and they don’t fight. We do know that the female will most likely get pregnant and know to buy separate cages for them when/if it happens.
How big do Panda bear and black bear hamsters get ?
Panda Bear’s normally grow about 6 to 7 inches long.
i have a black bear hamster and a short hair hamster the black ber is a boy and the short hair is a girl the boy keeps on fight with the girl why????
No adult hamsters (with the exception of dwarf breeds) should be housed together. They will fight no matter if they were siblings raised together from day 1 or new mates from different breeds or litters. You shouldn’t house your adults together because the female will get pregnant repeatedly and this is very very tough on hamsters. Not to mention, the male will stress her and eat the babies.
i just got a black bear and a panda bear, but the panda bear is nicer but shes a girl the black bears a boy
I just got a new black bear hamster. It has silky nice hair and she is very friendly too.
i think you should get a female because i have a female teddy bear hamster and she is just the sweetest thing ever
I agree
I had a female teddy bear hamster and she was the best companion I have ever owned. I had her from a baby and very sadly she passed away of old age last month 
It was very hard. My boyfriend now keeps his male black bear at my house and he is no where close to the well behaved little girl I had. I would most definitely recommend a femal teddy bear to anyone!
I have a male teddy bear and he is mean I got a female black bear today and so far she is nice but like I said I just got her
what type of sex is the best or are both the same and which one is more gentle
yes I also agree females are so sweet …… I have one named Ginger and I couldn’t of asked for anything more!!!
I’ve had a boy and girl black bear hamster they are both VERY sweet and they do not bite and something some people dont know they love apples and tomatoes!