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Is there really a difference between hamsters and gerbils? This is a question that many would ask, but the answer is yes, there are numerous differences between these two animals. A few of the differences would include the number of species between both of these mammals, their lifespans, and their different social aspects. The biggest difference is their number of species. This is the most common difference because there are twenty-four different hamster species versus one hundred ten gerbil species! Hamsters and gerbils share a few similarities, but they also have many differences.

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Alina Bradford claims that hamsters are little rodents that many people keep as pets for their home. They are fairly tiny rodents measuring as small as two to four inches for a dwarf hamster. However, some species of hamsters grow quite large such as the European breed, which can grow to be 13.4 inches. There are twenty-four different species of this rodent (livescience.com). Kate Jaimet explains that out of the twenty-four hamster species five of them are kept as pets (kids.nationalgeographic.com).

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Those were a few facts about hamsters, and these are some facts that are given about gerbils. Amy Brantley states that gerbils are a type of rodent like the hamster, but there are quite a few differences between the two. The first difference is that there are over one hundred ten gerbil species known as of now. Two of the one hundred ten are known for being small house pets. The gerbil has a size range from about two to eight inches (animals.mom.com).

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Since some facts on both hamsters and gerbils have been given, here are some similarities and differences between the two animals. An article called “Should I Get A Hamster Or A Gerbil?” addresses that hamsters are nocturnal which means that they are up at night and they sleep in the daytime. Gerbils, on the other hand, are diurnal which means that they are awake during the day and they are not sleeping until nighttime (omlet). Both hamsters and gerbils can be great small house pets. They also are both categorized as desert animals. And, they are both eaten by the same animals. The animals that most commonly prey on them are snakes and birds such as, buzzards, crows, and eagles (sciencing.com).

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The article titled “Should I Get A Hamster Or A Gerbil?” states that gerbils have a lifespan of about three years to eight years while hamsters have a shorter lifespan ranging from around two to five years. The lifespan depends on the type of species the gerbil or hamster is. Also, gerbils are known to be extremely social animals whereas some types of hamsters like to be left alone. A species of hamster that is not social is the Syrian Hamster (omlet).

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Hamsters and gerbils share a few similarities, but they also have many differences.  Make sure to remember what kind of animals prey on them, the species number for both animals, their lifespans, their sizes, and how social each of these mammals are. Hopefully this helps to show the many similarities and differences between the hamster and the gerbil.

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Works Cited

Adrianne Elizabeth. “What Animals Commonly Eat Hamsters in the Wild.” sciencing.com,

November 22, 2019,

https://sciencing.com/animals-commonly-eat-hamsters-wild-8467984.html. Accessed 9

Nov. 2020.

Bradford, Alina. “Hamster Facts: Diet, Habits, and Types of Hamsters.” livescience.com, 11 June

2014,

https://www.livescience.com/27169-hamsters.html#:~:text=With%2024%20species%20f

%20hamsters,5.5%20to%2010.5%20cm. Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.

Brantley, Amy. “Gerbil Types.” animals.mom.com,

https://animals.mom.com/gerbil-types-2503.html. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

Jaimet, Kate. “Hamsters: From the Wild to Your Bedroom.” kids.nationalgeographic.com,

January 2015,

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/nature/wild-hamsters/#:~:text=There%20are

%20over%2020%20species,much%20of%20Europe%20and%20Asia. Accessed 4 Nov.

2020.

“Should I get a Gerbil or a Hamster?” omlet, 2015,

https://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/gerbils/should_i_get_a_gerbil/gerbil_or_hamster.

Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.