I wasn't sure what topic to discuss for my first hamster info thread, but common issues seem like a good place to start.
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I have frequently read and heard about dwarf hamsters being biters. Some even get referred to as evil. Hamsters generally bite out of fear but sometimes out of annoyance. Sometimes they are just taste-testing.
First off, it's important to distinguish between nibbling and biting. Hamsters may nibble because they are exploring their world, and they want to know what is edible/chewable. Biting, however, is more than curiosity, hurts and can on occasion break skin. So here are a few ways to avoid biting:
(1) Wash your hands before handling hamsters. Your hands pick up scents and tastes from everything you handle. Hamsters rely heavily on their sense of smell, so if your hands smell like the grilled cheese you had for lunch, they will check to see if you indeed taste like grilled cheese. Never ever stick your hand in a hamster cage after handling cheese without washing first!
(2) Don't approach the hamster from above. In the wild, large claws/paws/hands descending rapidly from above are predators. Hamsters have poor vision and can't tell what is grasping at them from that angle. Slowly bring your hand in from the side, so they can properly assess you.
(3) Re-evaluate the hamster's habitat. One of the biggest issues with frequent biters is the unsuitability of their cage. Your hamster should have 360 square inches of cage floor, not counting tubes or partial levels. (You may notice that this is larger than nearly all commercial cages available. I plan to do a later thread on alternatives.) Hamsters with smaller habitats tend to be more defensive. You would be defensive too if someone locked you in a closet. I find that increasing habitat size vastly improves hamster behavior.
(4) Never wake a sleeping hamster. Like humans, they too can be irritable if woken up.
(5) After traveling, give your hamster alone time. I do not recommend bringing your hamster on vacation as it will be a lot stress on both him/her and you. However, if you are moving with a hamster, do your best to minimize stress and give your hamster a couple days afterward to adjust before handling him/her again.
