In captivity, Syrian hamsters (or golden hamsters) and Chinese hamsters usually live 2 to 3 years. Campbell's dwarf hamsters typically live 1.5 to 3 years. Winter white Russian dwarf hamsters have an average lifespan of 1.5 to 2 years. Roborovskis are the smallest of the pet hamsters, but have the longest lifespan. They can live to about 3.5 years.

The factors that influence hamster lifespan the most are genetics, nutrition and environment. Good pet owners have a lot of control over all three of these factors.

The genetic history of your pet hamster's breed is important to research in order to know what kind of overall health and hereditary conditions your pet hamster may be living with. For example, Campbell's dwarf hamsters have very poor eyesight and often develop cataracts. Both winter white Russian dwarf and Campbell's dwarf hamsters are prone to diabetes. Syrian hamsters are prone to cardiomyopathy (a heart disease). Unfortunately, pet hamsters have been seriously inbred in captivity, and as a result many health problems persist that can affect overall health and lifespan.

Good nutrition is important. Hamsters need a variety of fresh foods, including vegetables, grains, fruits, seeds and proteins. Although manufactured hamster food is available for purchase in pet stores, it is not a nutritious as a well balanced diet of fresh foods similar to what they would eat in the wild. Healthy foods will increase your pet's lifespan and prevent illnesses. Your hamster's health will benefit from you taking the time to learn about which foods are good for hamsters and which foods to avoid.

Environmental factors include the treatment they receive from the humans they live with. People like to handle them and often think of them as toys, but the fact is that they are living creatures. Rough handling can cause serious injury or death. Children should be supervised when handling hamsters, and taught how to handle them so that they don't get injured. Squeezing them too tightly can injure their organs, bones or nerves.

Hamsters can suffer broken legs and broken backs due to falls from tables, chairs, sofas or from jumping out of the hands of humans who don't anticipate them moving around and wiggling. Hamsters should never be allowed to jump more than about 8 inches down. If the distance is further, they can break their bones.

If one of your hamsters gets sick, it is a good idea to separate it from the rest of the colony while you nurse it back to health. Many hamster illnesses can be contagious, and separating the sick hamster from the healthy ones will prevent the illness from spreading to your other pets.

Emily Brock is a hamster enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on hamster life expectancy visit http://HamsterLifeAnswers.com/