Colour and Coat Varieties
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Black
A relative newcomer, the origins of the black hamster remain something of a mystery. Rumour has it that a black hamster first appeared in France around 1985, and was exported to Finland 1 to 2 years later, according to Vuokko Eraaja, a Finnish pet shop owner and pet breeder. In April 1988, two Swedish hamster breeders, Madelaine Rafto and Lotta Bjerketorp, imported three blacks (a female and two males). They established the black as a new colour in Sweden, and it was subsequently imported into the UK around 1989. Despite being among the commonest mutants, we have had to wait a long time for a true black hamster. It is the result of a recessive mutation in the Agouti gene (A), whose normal action is to produce the agouti yellow band in each hair. The mutant gene, symbolised (a), prevents the formation of this band, producing hair that is black throughout its length, and hence a completely black hamster, except for the feet and a variable patch of white around the umbilicus (belly button) and throat.
Chocolate (aabb)Probably my personal favourite, the chocolate is created easily by combining black (a) and rust (b). The action of the rust gene is to change the black pigment to brown. Chocolates are completely brown, and the agouti markings of the golden are absent. Dove (aapp)The dove is another real winner. It is a combination of black (a) and cinnamon (p). The cinnamon gene dilutes the black pigment to a dove grey. Champagne (aabbpp)Champagne is the go-between of Chocolate and Dove. You must combine black, rust and cinnamon to produce it. As expected, it is a pale beige with pink eyes and flesh-coloured ears. Black Tortoiseshell and Black-Yellow (aaToto and aaTo/Y, aaToTo)Black (a) and Yellow (To) are another great combination. The permutations are a little complicated, as the yellow (To) gene lives on the sex chromosomes (X and Y). Males are almost always black-yellow, whilst females can be black with variable patches of yellow, otherwise known as the black tort. Related journal articles:
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