Effects of Color on Hamsters

The wild ancestors of domesticated hamsters depended on their seasonal color change for reproduction and survival. Nowadays, domestication and selective breeding has allowed for a wide range of coat varieties in hamsters.Thankfully for the hamster owner, choosing the color of a pet hamster and its surroundings is largely a matter of preference and not survival, but still can be exciting.

  1. History

    • The domesticated hamsters available in pet stores and animal shelters today come from two major bloodlines. The most common type of hamster in North America is the golden or Syrian hamster. So named because of its golden coat, they now come in a wide variety of coat colors, textures and lengths. Another popular type of hamster, particularly in Asian and European countries, is the Siberian hamster. When in the wild, the Siberian hamster changes coat color from silver to white for camouflage each season. This change also affects the hamster's endocrine system, allowing it to reproduce only when it has the best chance of survival.

    Golden Hamster Coat Varieties

    • The breeding process for domesticated hamsters has allowed for a great variety in coats. Golden hamsters come in short-haired, "teddy bear" (a kinky texture) and long-haired or "silky" varieties. Within these varieties the colors range from white to beige, brown, black, cinnamon and any kind of patterned combination of these.

    Siberian Color Varieties

    • Siberian hamsters originally were gray, changing to white during winter. Nowadays, breeding has allowed for many other colors, and more are still being developed. Common colors are black, bluish-gray, beige, cinnamon and white.

    Housing Options

    • Golden hamsters are extremely territorial and must be housed individually. Plastic-bottomed cages with wire sides are widely available, as are glass aquariums and plastic "tube" style habitats. Beware of dark-colored tubes or sections if choosing the latter; hamsters can be hard to find if they become stuck.

      Siberian hamsters can be housed in pairs or groups. The housing options are similar to those listed above. They are smaller than golden hamsters, so if choosing a wire-sided cage make sure they cannot slip between the wires and escape.

    Final Caveat

    • It is illegal to own hamsters as pets in Hawaii. The environment in Hawaii is similar to the golden hamster's ancestral habitat, making it possible that escaped hamsters could survive and breed, becoming disruptive to the local ecosystem.