| Hamster Self Colors 3 |
| Self hamsters have a 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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| Acromelanic White cd is the symbol for the acromelanic white mutation. This is a mutation on the albino locus that causes a pure white coat and red eyes. It is similar to the himalayan mutation in rats and the red eye dilution mutation in gerbils. Since there is no true albino mutaiton in hamsters, this is often refered to as "albino" even though it is not purely an alibino mutation. There are two colors that come from acremelanic white these are Dark Eared White (cdcd) and Flesh Eared White (cdcd pp). The ears of a DEW are flesh colored until the hamter is about 5 weeks old and then they change over to a dark gray. Acromelanic white may be combined with any coat type or pattern. Satin sometimes causes a yellowish sheen to the coat. All patterns will be masked by the pure white coat; most importantly, cdcd masks anopthalmic white (Wh). Since WhWh is an eyeless white hamster, two all white hamsters should never be bred together and a white hamster should not be bred to a roan or any hamster with a white belly. |
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| Over-Patterned The patterning mutations Dominant Spot (Dsds) or Anopthalmic White (Whwh) when combined with cream or yellow based hamsters lacking umbrous can create a pure white hamster. So Whwheeuu will sometimes be pure white. So will Dsdseeuu. Sometimes these are not pure white and coulc be described as cream roan and spotted cream, respectively. When umbrous is included in the combos, then a marbled effect usually occurs. Whwh with cream or yellow and U_ is called roan. Dsds with cream or yellow and U_ has no special name, but I will call them "marble." By combining either of these pattering mutations with each other or with banding (Ba_) as well as with the cream or yellow, it is more likely that a pure white hamster would arise. Another possiblitiy for creating a white hamster with patterning mutations is the combination of all three patterning genes. I have not seen this and do not plan on ever having any, but it seems reasonable that a WhwhDsdsBa_ hamster would be pure white no matter what color mutaitons the hamster does or does not have. The reason I think this could happen is because either Ds or Wh by themselves increase the ammount of white on a banded hamster. the two of them together in some cases could be enough to overpower all pigment. Again, to avoid getting eyeless whites, do not breed two white hamsters together. Do not breed a roan to a white hamster or any other hamster with a white belly. Just to be safe, do not ever breed to hamsters with white bellies to eachother. |
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| White Hamsters Come in four varieties two of which are caused by single mutations and two of which are caused by combinations of multiple mutations. |
| Name: Unnamed Birthday: 5/12/03 Type: Long Hair Pattern: ??? Coloring: Dark Eared White Notes: This photo clearly shows the red eyes and dark ears of a DEW. Also notice that I cannot fill out his pattern. His father was Baba and his mother was a DEW. I cannot say if he is solid or if he is spotted, banded, or imperial or a mixture of all three. Since he was not bred, I will never know. |
| 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, or a spotted banded yellow. Whwh ee or Whwh To_ would look similar (all white), but some take on a "cream roan" effect. |
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| Name: Unnamed Birthday:5/12/03 Type: Long Hair Pattern: ??? Coloring: Flesh Eared White Notes: This is the brother of the DEW to the left. These two picutures were taken on the same day and clearly show the difference in ear color. This FEW raises the same questions about pattern as his brother. |
| Anopthalmic White I hope to never have these, this section is only added for completeness and clarification. Wh is the symbol for the anopthalmic white mutation. This mutation is unreleated and not linked to acromelanic white. This is a patterning gene that causes a range of effects in the heterozygous condition (Whwh), but also causes a single-mutation solid white in the homozygous condition (WhWh). A WhWh is a pure white hamster with NO eyes or rudimentary red eyes. Since there is no true albino mutaiton in hamsters, this is often refered to as "eyeless albino" even though it is not purely an alibino mutation. Since WhWh is an eyeless white hamster, and Whwh can be masked by pattern or color genes, two all white hamsters should never be bred together, a white hamster should not be bred to a roan or any hamster with a white belly, and any two hamsters with white bellies should not be bred together I hope to never have pictures to add to this section. To see a picture of an eyeless white, go to the hamsterrific website. |
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| Name: Unnamed Birthday: 7/2/03 Type: Short Hair Pattern: Spotted-Banded Coloring: Black Eyed Cream Notes: This picture is not the best, but it does show that a spotted banded black eyed cream will sometimes be pure white. |
| Over-Diluted I will not have these, this section is only added for completeness and clarification. As I have said before, nearly all of the mutations effecting the coat color come work by diluting the coat color and decreasing pigmentation. When certain dilution mutations are combined, an all white hamster may occur. I will not have any photos of these since I do not have some of the key mutations. Some examples that can be pure white are: yellow and homozygous silver grey, cream and homozygous silver grey, heterozygous extreme dilute esecially when combined with cream or yelow. See the mutations table for information about these mutations. Again, to avoid getting eyeless whites, do not breed two white hamsters together. Do not breed a roan to a white hamster or any other hamster with a white belly. Just to be safe, do not ever breed to hamsters with white bellies to eachother. |
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