About Albino Hamsters

Albinism (a lack of pigment) happens in many animal species, including pet hamsters. Albinos occur in Syrians (also known as goldens), teddy bears (or long-haired Syrians) Russian dwarfs (also known as Campbell's.)

  1. Identification

    • Albino hamsters have white hair all over the body, pale pink skin and blood-red or pink eyes. Non-albino white hamsters not only have dark eyes, but often have pale tan or yellow patches on their coats.

    Misconception

    • The winter white dwarf hamster is not an albino. This dwarf hamster becomes white in the winter, but usually has dark eyes and a silver stripe down its back.

    History

    • Albino Syrian hamsters were discovered in the 1950s while albino Russian dwarfs were not discovered until 1988, according to Hamsters.co.uk.

    Weird Fact

    • Some albino hamsters are born without eyes and only live to be a year old, instead of the usual two to three years, according to the UK Hamster Society. These hamsters, discovered in the late 1950s are known as anopthalmalic whites.

    Eye Color

    • Red eyes can appear in many other Syrian or teddy bear hamster colors, not just albinos. It is unknown if red-eyed hamsters have worse vision than dark-eyed, since all hamsters have poor vision, according to Darwin Veterinary Care.