Hamsters That Change Colors

Of all the species of hamsters sold as pets, only the winter white dwarf hamster, or Phodopus sungorus, regularly changes its coat color to mostly white in the winter. Cold temperatures trigger the color change. In their summer coats, winter white hamsters look almost identical to Campbell's Russian dwarf hamsters.

  1. Function

    • Winter white dwarf hamsters originated in the arid regions of what are now Siberia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and northeast China. The winter white dwarf hamster changes its normally gray and white coat to blend in with its wintry surroundings. Only a dark dorsal stripe along its back remains gray, according to Sharon L. Vanderlip, DVM.

    Variations

    • Since entering the pet market in the 1970s, winter white dwarf hamster breeders have developed new coat colors not seen in wild hamsters. These include: pearl and pearl sapphire hamsters with heads and dorsal stripes that are darkly colored and bodies that are mostly white, and sapphire hamsters with blue-gray or purple-gray coats, white bellies and dark dorsal stripes.

    Misconception

    • In the 1970s and 1980s, winter white hamsters were mistakenly thought to be simply a different color of Campbell's Russian hamsters. Winter whites' backs are more rounded, their bodies more squarely built and their eyes much larger than Campbell's Russian hamsters. Both species are also sold as "Djungarian" hamsters. Campbell's Russian dwarf hamsters don't change their coat colors.

    Warning

    • Winter whites and Campbell's Russian dwarf hamsters can interbreed. The offspring sometimes change colors with the seasons as winter whites do. But breeding hybrid dwarf hamsters is generally considered unethical. Hybrid hamsters often suffer from neurological disorders and sterility. Unless the mother is a winter white, the babies can be too large to fit through her birth canal. It is is difficult to distinguish a hybrid dwarf hamster from a winter white or a Campbell's Russian.