There are significant differences between a hamster in hibernation and a dead hamster in aspects such as physical appearance, temperature, touch, and response.
Physical Appearance: A hamster in hibernation will curl its body up, looking more compact than usual and having a certain degree of elasticity. Its fur remains neat. Although it might be a bit messy, on the whole, the fur is still relatively smooth. A dead hamster, however, has a completely limp body with no elasticity at all. Its fur becomes dull, rough, and disorderly.
Temperature and Touch: A hamster in hibernation still has a certain amount of body heat. When you touch it, it will feel slightly cool, and a gentle touch might elicit a slight response, like a slight twitch of its whiskers. A dead hamster's body gradually cools down until it reaches the same temperature as the surrounding environment. When you touch it, there is no sense of warmth at all, and there is no response.
Response: A hamster in hibernation has a certain ability to perceive external stimuli. For example, it will respond to changes in light and gentle touches. A dead hamster, on the other hand, has no response at all to external stimuli. Whether there are changes in light or touches, it won't make any movements.
Differences between Hamster Hibernation and Death:
Hibernation: The body temperature drops, but there is still a weak heartbeat and body heat, and it has a certain response to external stimuli.
Death: The body temperature is completely lost, there is no heartbeat or body heat at all, and there is no response to external stimuli.
To determine whether a hamster is in pseudo-hibernation or dead, you can check its heartbeat, body condition, and the twitching of the whiskers around its nose. A hamster in pseudo-hibernation can wake up in a warm environment, while a dead hamster cannot be revived.