Is this normal?

Question
Okay, so I'm up late tonight because about an hour ago, I found my first dwarf hamster, Dante, dead. Dante lived in the same cage as his two siblings, Gaia and Lemmingwinks. They had grown up together since birth and have never been seperated. I fed them all regulary and healthy foods.

Dante was alive yesterday when my sister fed them, but when I went to feed them tonight, Dante didn't come out to get food, so I started to think he might have gotten out. But that would have been impossible, since the cage is like a fish tank. Then I found him laying under their bedding and I started to lift him up (I could only see his back legs) and then I noticed that he wasn't moving as I picked him up. Once he was out of the bedding, I saw that his entire jaw was missing, all the way down his throat too. There was blood everywhere and I couldn't stand it.

I just need to know if it's normal for siblings to do such a thing to each other. I've had them for about a year now, and I raised them since they were born in a teacher I was an aide for's classroom.

If you can help, I will greatly appritiate it!

Kristen

Answer
Hi Kristen

Sorry to hear about your hamster.  It is always distressing to find a dead hamster, especially if it has mutilated.

The fact that the others mutilated him doesn't necessarily mean they killed him.  Sometimes hamsters fight and bully each other, but he could have died from natural causes and then was mutilated. They don't always do this.  I have found dead dwarf hamsters before that were untouched, but also others that have been attacked.  I think it really depends on the hamsters.

I would advise, however, that you have a good look at your other hamsters - just in case there had been a fight, to make sure they don't have any bite marks.  If they do, you must keep them clean so they don't infect.

Hope this helps
Regards