Another thing to think about is the campbells russian and siberian 'winter white' are supposed to be two different lines of animals, each with their own health problems.
Well, 20 years or so ago you were only able to get one strain or the other. More recently pet stores have been able to get both species, and due to lack of due diligence, they are breeding in the pet stores and in people's homes due to poor information or total lack of info.
This makes them hybrids, and they now have inherited health problems from both species, and new problems have been cropping up as of late with certain color morphs being bred together.
The only way to avoid hybrids is to get them from a breeder who knows what he's talking about. Animals being born with no eyes and teeth never used to happen, and is now quite common. Rats used to live a lot longer 40 years ago, and were more free of health problems as well. But the problem is really bad with hamsters as it takes an expert to tell the two species apart when they're pure, much less telling a hybrid from a 'pure' campbells is almost impossible.
I personally think they make a poor pet, and a very poor feeder animal.

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• Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - cee4, Thu Dec 20 10:28:36 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - diggy415, Thu Dec 20 18:48:59 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - caz223, Fri Dec 21 05:54:25 2007
• siberian dwarf hamsters...... - caz223, Fri Dec 21 06:06:59 2007
• RE: siberian dwarf hamsters...... - caz223, Fri Dec 21 14:33:35 2007
• RE: siberian dwarf hamsters...... - caz223, Mon Dec 24 06:59:14 2007
• RE: siberian dwarf hamsters...... - caz223, Mon Dec 24 10:29:38 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - Sonya, Sat Dec 22 22:05:54 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - annageckos, Sun Dec 23 21:46:16 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - annageckos, Sun Dec 23 21:47:04 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - JasonW, Mon Dec 24 12:26:50 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - caz223, Mon Dec 24 12:47:35 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - JasonW, Mon Dec 24 15:13:28 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - CoffeeCreature, Tue Dec 25 14:44:53 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - Sonya, Tue Dec 25 22:18:04 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - caz223, Wed Dec 26 14:22:42 2007
• RE: Hamsters vs rats/mice?(long) - JasonW, Sat Dec 29 14:12:50 2007
• What about the big Syrian hamsters? - cee4, Wed Dec 26 07:56:07 2007
• RE: What about the big Syrian hamsters? - billymac, Thu Dec 27 19:01:39 2007
• RE: What about the big Syrian hamsters? - caz223, Fri Dec 28 10:58:33 2007