Available in a variety of colours and in different coat types - can be incredibly cute. Will not normally play with you, but will play on you. Nocturnal, so often the hamster will be asleep when you want to watch it. Not sociable, so usually to be kept alone. Short-sighted like most rodents, so may mistake your fingers for a sunflower seed if not careful.
Some people think hamsters are more likely to bite than other pet rodents.
A well-bred, properly handled hamster should not bite at all. As with most animals, it is better to buy your hamster from a breeder who has handled it as a baby than from a pet store. The problem is that hamsters sold in pet stores may be the product of years of careless and close inbreeding, which increases the risk of temperament and health problems. Roborowski's Dwarf Hamster - Phodopus roborovskii or raborowski. These species are all closely related.