| Hamster Self Colors 1 |
| There are many hamster colors derived from single mutations and from combinations of mutations. The next few pages show varieties that are NON-AGOUTI or SELF. This means that they have solid color on each shaft of hair. Some have a white undercoat. All self hamsters are either black or cream based or are white. |
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| Black Eyed Cream (also Cream-Black or Cream-Yellow look the same) e is the symbol for the recessive non-extention of eumelanin mutation which creates the look of a Black Eyed Cream when not combined with other mutations (ee). Because of the particulars of the way this gene effects color, it is epistatic to many other mutations. Thus, a Cream-Yellow (eeToTo) or a Black-Cream (eeaa) look the same as a Black Eyed Cream (ee). A show quality cream should have a deep apricot cream color throughout. I enjoy a lighter more milky cream and have also noticed that many creams I have seen have a white undercoat. As the color name implies, Black Eyed Creams have black eyes and dark ears. The ears and the color darken with age. The ears start out flesh colored but should be dark grey before the age of 5 weeks. The coat color starts out light cream and will darken and become richer until the hamster is full grown. Cream may be combined with any coat type or pattern, but combining with patterning genes often create white hamsters. Combining cream with satin creates a very vibrant more orangy version of the cream color. |
| Name: Apricot Birthday: 9/22/02 Type: Long Hair Pattern: Solid Coloring: Black Eyed Cream Notes: Apricot is the color I think all creams should be. This photo makes her look a bit lighter and washed out than real life. |
| Name: Peachy Birthday: 1/22/02 Type: Long Hair Pattern: Banded Coloring: Black Eyed Cream Notes: This picture makes Peachy look greasy, but she really had a nice smooth coat. Her color was a bit deeper than Apricot's. This picture also shows that the cream color is unaffected by the banding mutation. |
| Red Eyed Cream The combination of the eumelanin (ee) and cinnamon (pp) mutaitons creates a slight variation on to the color of Black Eyed Cream. A Red Eyed Cream (ee pp) is slightly lighter over-all and should have more pinkish tinge to the coat. The eyes are obviously red at birth and darken with age. aaeepp would look the same as a normal REC. The ears of a REC are flesh colored until the hamter is about 8 weeks old when they change over to a light gray. Sometimes it may be difficult to tell if an adult cream is a RE or a BE. To differentiate between the two, shine a light in the hamster's eyes. If they reflect red, it is a red eyed cream. REC may be combined with any coat type or pattern with similar results as the BEC, except with red eyes, of course. |
| Name: Spice Birthday: 1/28/03 Type: Short Hair Pattern: Banded Coloring: Red Eyed Cream Notes: In this picture, the red eyes are evident. As a special note, a banded cream, RE or BE cannot also be Wh because if it was, then it would be a white hamster. A hamster with a large amount of visible cream color is not Whwh. |
| Name: Miller Birthday: 3/29/03 Type: Long Hair Pattern: Solid Coloring: Red Eyed Cream Notes: Miller has very dark eyes. This picture shows his lovely pinkish hue and his soft grey ears. |
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| Caramel Mink The combination of the eumelanin (ee), cinnamon (pp) and umbrous (U_) mutaitons creates a brownish hamter with an orange tint. This is called the caramel mink. The undercoat area around the eyes is cream. the ears are gray and the eyes are dark red. The eyes darken with age and can vary a lot in hue from one mink to the next. Mink may be combined with any coat type or pattern with some surprising results. First, a long hair mink is generally lighter and more grayish than the short hair variety. Satin minks are quite attractive and have a spectacular sheen and beautiful copper-penny color. Also, mink, like sable, reacts very strangely with anopthalmic white and dominant spotting. In both cases, the cream parts of the hamster's hair all turn white and some entire hairs turn white. This results in a soft grey/brown/cream marbled look. The Whwh ee pp U_ is called a "mink roan." The spotted mink has no special name. I'm going to call mine "mink marble." Minks usually darken and grow in depth of color as they age. |
| Name: Latte Birthday: 5/19/03 Type: Long Hair Pattern: Roan Coloring: Mink Notes: Unfortunately, this photo does not capture the complexity of Latte's gorgeous marbled look. The photo makes her look as if she is just a faded mink. Notice that her eyes are quite obviously red, probably because of the Whwh. |
| Name: Mocha Birthday: 1/28/03 Type: Short Hair Pattern: Banded Coloring: Mink Notes: Mocha has lovely depth and richness to her mink color. Notice that banding does not effect the mink color. Also, her eyes are quite dark, nearly black. |
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| Cream Based Self Colors |
| Name: Goldie Birthday: 3/6/03 Type: Short Hair Pattern: Spotted Coloring: Yellow-Black Notes: For the purposes of this tour, Goldie may as well be a spotted cream. This is about the most spotting you would ever see on a spotted cream, an the color would be about the same. |
| Name: Snow Birthday: 3/6/03 Type: Long Hair Pattern: Spotted-Banded Coloring: Yellow-Black Notes: For the purposes of this tour, this may as well be a picture of a spotted-banded cream. Whwh ee would look similar (all white), but some take on a "cream roan" effect. |
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| Honey-Cream A honey cream would be the combination of cream, cinnamon and yellow. A Honey cream would be indistinguishable from a REC. |
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| Sable The combination of the eumelanin (ee) and umbrous (U_) mutaitons creates a drastic variation on to the color of Black Eyed Cream. The resulting color, Sable, has nearly black coat with a very light cream undercoat. The area around the eyes is light cream, also. Sable may be combined with any coat type or pattern with some surprising results. First, a long hair sable is generally lighter and more brownish than the short hair variety. Also, sable reacts very strangely with anopthalmic white and dominant spotting. In both cases, the cream parts of the hamster's hair all turn white and some entire hairs turn white. This results in a soft grey marbled look. The Whwh ee U_ is called a "sable roan." The spotted sable has no special name. I'm going to call mine "sable marble." Sables usually lighten and turn rather brownish as they age. |
| Name: Angora Birthday: 6/22/03 Type: Satin Long Hair Pattern: Solid Coloring: Sable (Tortoiseshell) Notes: Satin does not effect the sable color much. Also notice that yellow does not effect the sable color. |
| Name: Unnamed Birthday: 1/13/03 Type: Long Hair Pattern: Banded Coloring: Sable Notes: This is a well colored long hair sable. Notice that banding does not effect the sable color. |
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| Name: Roany Birthday: 1/13/03 Type: Long Hair Pattern: Roan Coloring: Sable Notes: This is a well marbled sable roan. Notice how much lighter his over-all color is compared to the plain sable color. |
| Name: Unnamed Birthday: Type: Long Hair Pattern: Spotted Coloring: Sable Notes: |
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| Black Eyed Ivory The combination of the eumelanin (ee), and light grey (Lglg) mutaitons creates a very light creamy color called ivory. The eyes are black. Black Eyed Ivory may be combined with any coat type or pattern with results similar to the results combining the genes with ee alone. |
| I will have pictures of Ivories soon, hopefully by Christmas. For now you can see pictures and information at the Petwebsite. |
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| Red Eyed Ivory The combination of the eumelanin (ee), cinnamon (pp), and light grey (Lglg) mutaitons creates a very light creamy color called ivory. The eyes are red. Red Eyed Ivory may be combined with any coat type or pattern with results similar to the results combining the genes with ee alone. |
| I will have pictures of Ivories soon, hopefully by Christmas. For now you can see pictures and information at the Petwebsite. |
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| Platinum Sable The combination of the eumelanin (ee), light grey (Lglg), and umbrous (U_) mutaitons creates a lighter more blue-gray version of a sable. The eyes are black. This particular color does not have any recognized name, but I will call mine "platinum sables." This is because the combination of Silver gray and sable (ee U_ SgSg) is called silver sable. The "platinum sables" will probably be a little darker and more creamy than a silver sable. "Platinum Sable" can be combined with coat types and patterns with rather predictable results. I will not be combining platinum sable with patterning genes because I think this would detract from the beauty of the color. |
| I will have pictures of Platinum sables soon, hopefully by Christmas. For now you can see pictures and information about silver sables (NOT platinum sables) at the Hamster Hoarder. |
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| Platinum Mink The combination of the eumelanin (ee), cinnamon (pp) light grey (Lglg), and umbrous (U_) mutations creates a lighter more blue-gray version of a mink. The eyes are red. This particular color does not have any recognized name, but I will call mine "platinum minks." "Platinum Mink" can be combined with coat types and patterns with rather predictable results. I will not be combining platinum mink with patterning genes because I think this would detract from the beauty of the color. |
| I will have pictures of Platinum minks soon, hopefully by Christmas. |
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