Skip to content
ShareYourPets

Black bear hamster

The black bear is not a separate species or breed — it is a Syrian hamster in a solid black coat, sold under a marketing name that has stuck.

Genetically and behaviourally it is the same animal as the golden hamster, and the same care applies in every respect.

The colour arose as a mutation in European stock in the 1980s and was popularised in the pet trade under the black bear label, sometimes with claims that the variety is tamer or more docile than other Syrians. There is no good evidence for that; temperament in Syrians varies by individual and by handling, not by coat colour.

Origin
A colour mutation of the Syrian hamster, 1980s
Size
13–18 cm; 120–200 g
Lifespan
2–3 years
Coat
Solid black, sometimes with white feet or chest
Temperament
As any Syrian — solitary and territorial
Housing
Alone, always. Minimum 100 × 50 cm floor

Related: Golden hamster · Black sable ferret · Black velvet chinchilla

3 black bear hamster photos, newest first

  • Nugget, a black bear hamster

    Nugget

    Nugget has an entire castle and insists on eating every meal in the doorway of it.

    FrostyOtter · 6 days ago

  • Amber X, a black bear hamster

    Amber X

    Amber X peeked out from behind the curtain, and that was quite enough to set the dominoes going.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Amber X, a black bear hamster

    Amber X

    Took eleven attempts. Amber X moved for ten of them.

    GentleFinch · 2 weeks ago

Living with a black bear hamster

Treat exactly as a Syrian, because that is what it is.

House alone. Adults kept together fight, often fatally, and the black bear name does not change that however it is sold.

Provide a large floor area rather than levels, with at least 20 centimetres of bedding for burrowing, and a solid-surface wheel of 28 centimetres or more to protect the spine.

They are nocturnal and will be awake and running when the house is asleep.

Watch for wet tail, which kills quickly, and for overgrown teeth. Handle gently and from floor level — a dropped hamster is easily injured.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual critters vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

Worth reading alongside this

More critters by breed

Every critter breed somebody has posted a photo of.