1) Robo(ro)wski dwarf hamster: 4 . , . Currently there are three confirmed variations of Roborovski hamsters.

[citation needed]

agouti a natural grayish-brown with white underside and "eyebrows" "husky" a mutation producing a white-faced hamster a white spotted variation

Wild/Agouti.

Husky/White faced Breeding in captivity has also produced a darker dilution of the naturally sandycoloured agouti fur.

2) Cambels dwarf hamster: , . , Robowski.

Colors and markings

Campbell's hamsters are born with one of four coat types: normal, satin, wavy and rex. The normal coat is short and flat. The satin coat is shiny and gives the appearance of being wet or greasy and the gene enhances the fur's color and gives it lift. The wavy coat is slightly long and wavy; the whiskers are curly when young and, although the coat moults out to a normal coat, the curly whiskers remain through adulthood. The rex coat is a soft, short coat which is curled so as to be "lifted" from the body and the whiskers are curly. The rex coat is often sparse and remains curled even in adult hamsters. Campbell's dwarfs are available in six basic colors plus many variations thereof. All are marked by a dark stripe down their back, the colour of which varies depending on the shade of their fur. Basic colors include:

agouti (the normal grey brown wild color with white belly and black eyes) argente (cinnamon or sandy with white belly and red eyes) black eyed argente (dull brownish orange with white belly and black eyes) albino (white with red eyes) opal (blue grey with white belly and black eyes) black (black all over with black eyes)

Marking types include:

mottled (irregular white patches or spots also called banded, spotted, or collared, if the mottling is confined to the neck) ruby-eyed mottled (mottled with ruby eyes which usually appear black) platinum (white hairs mingled in the coat ranging from a few to almost total coverage sometimes incorrectly called pearl)

Not all white hamsters with red/pink eyes are albino. Some are so heavily mottled or tinged with platinum that they will appear to be white. Hamsters carrying the black gene (almost half of all variations) are prone to "silvering"; in extreme cases the eventual result is an almost white hamster. When two ruby-eyed mottled hamsters are bred, approximately 25% of the litter are born lacking teeth and eyes; these pups, called "eyeless toothless," generally do not live past weaning. Whether a mottled hamster has ruby eyes (which often appear black) can be difficult to determine; pointing a flashlight at the hamster in the dark may reveal the hint of ruby. Furthermore, some mottling may be too small to be noticed, or the mottling may be misidentified as platinum markings, and in these cases two ruby-eyed mottleds may accidentally be bred, resulting in the ill-fated pups. Combining the different mutations has produced new colors, including blue, blue fawn, lilac fawn, beige, chocolate, champagne, dove, and others. Contrary to some claims, the different colors and markings of hamsters do not indicate personality differences. Most breeders attempt to predict personality by closely examining the bloodline and any neurological diseases the hamster's ancestors displayed.

3)Winter-white dwarf hamster: Russian siberian . . , winter-white . , .

Biology

Normal colouration

Pearl colouration

Sapphire colouration The coat of the Djungarian hamster is less woolly than that of the Campbell's dwarf hamster,[2] and apart from the normal colouring, they can be coloured pearl, sapphire, mandarin, blue, argente, yellow blue fawn, camel, brown, cream, merle and umbrous.[3] The head length of the Djungarian hamster is 70 to 90 millimetres in length, the length of the tail is five to 15 millimetres, and the hind legs are 11 to 15 millimetres.[3][4] The body weight changes dramatically throughout the year. It is at its lowest from July to August.[5] In males, the body weight ranges from 19 grams (0.67 oz) to 45 grams (1.6 oz), and in females, 19 grams (0.67 oz) to 36 grams (1.3 oz).[4] In human care, they are slightly heavier. The average lifespan of the Djungarian hamster is one to three years of age in captivity, though they can live longer. In the wild, they are known to live as little as one year.[2] In summer, the fur of the Djungarian hamster on the back changes from ash-grey to dark brown, or sometimes pale brown with a tint.[6] The face changes to grey or brown, while the mouth area, the whisker area and the ears are slightly brighter.[5] The outer ears and the eyes have black edges. The rest of the head is dark brown or black. From the head to the tail runs a black-brown dorsal stripe.[7] The throat, belly, tail and limbs are white.[5] The ears are grey with a pinkish tint[6] with scattered black hairs. The hairs on the underside are completely white.[8][9] The bright coat the bottom extends to the shoulders, flanks and hips in three arches upward. It is distinguished from the darker fur on the top of the existing black-brown hair, three curved line.[4] Apart from the typical colouration, Djungarian hamsters can also be coloured pearl, sapphire, sapphire pearl and marbled. Other colorations are available, but these are strongly suspected to appear only in hybrid crossings with Campbell Dwarf hamsters. Some of these colorations are mandarin, blue, argente, yellow blue fawn, camel, brown, cream, merle and umbrous.[2] In the winter, the fur is more dense.[10] They sometimes have a grey tint on their head.[11] More than ten percent of the hamsters kept in the first winter develop the summer coat. In the second winter, only a few change into the winter coat and winter colour is less pronounced. The moulting in the winter fur starts in October or November and is completed in December, while the summer coat begins in January or February and is completed in March or early April.[5] The ears are grey with a pinkish tint.[2] Moulting both run jobs on the head and the back of the spine to the sides, the legs and the underside.[12] The hairs grow longer in the summer, to about ten millimetres long.[6]

4) Chinese dwarf hamster: . . , , . .

Chinese hamster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Chinese hamster

A wild-type Chinese hamster

Scientific classification Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Genus: Species: Animalia Chordata Mammalia Rodentia Cricetidae Cricetulus C. griseus

Binomial name Cricetulus griseus

Milne-Edwards, 1867

The Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus), is a species of hamster originating from the deserts of northern China and Mongolia.

Contents

1 Description 2 Colour mutations 3 Latin name 4 References 5 See also

Description
These animals grow to between 82 and 127 mm in body length (tail length 20 33 mm) and weigh 1.7 grams at birth, then as they get older can weigh 30-45 grams. They live two to three years on average. A Chinese hamster's body proportions, compared with those of other hamsters, appear "long and thin" and they have (for a hamster) a relatively long tail. Males have a relatively large scrotum, therefore females were generally kept as pets and males used solely for breeding and research purposes, until scientists started using other rodents, albino mice and rats. Chinese hamsters are not related to the social "dwarf" hamsters. The term "dwarf" is often used to refer solely to animals in the genus Phodopus, (the two types of Russian dwarf hamsters and Roborovski dwarf hamsters). The wild colour is brown with a black stripe down the spine, black and grey ticks and a whitish belly. This coloration, combined with their lithe build and longer tail, makes them look "mousy" to some eyes and, in fact, they are members of the group called ratlike hamsters. Besides the wild colour, a well-known variation is the white-spotted Chinese hamster, which often is grayish white all over, with only a dark stripe on its back. They can have quite vicious temperaments but are easily handled; one of their endearing traits is that of clinging to a finger with all four paws, rather like a harvest mouse on a corn stalk. Chinese hamsters can be quite nervous as youngsters but, once they are tame, can display an endearing calmness and gentleness of character. In the past, Chinese hamsters were commonly used laboratory animals, until they were replaced by the common mouse and rat, which are easier to keep and breed; however, quite a few biotech drugs are still being produced by putting the gene for the protein into Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO cells), which then produce the protein.

Of note, some United States states such as California and New Jersey regard the Chinese hamster as a pest, and as a result require a special permit to own, breed or sell.[1]

Colour mutations
There are only three known colour mutations found in Chinese hamsters, Normal/Wild type, dominant spot and Black Eyed White. Normal and Dominant spot are readily available in the pet trade throughout the United Kingdom (UK) whereas the Black Eyed Whites is extremely rare and there are just a handful owned by a couple of hobbyist breeders in the UK.

Black Eyed White

Normal/Wild type

Dominant Spot

5)Syrian hamster: . . , , .