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Campbell's Russian Dwarf HamsterPhodopus Sungoris CampbelliOften referred to simply as "Campbells", these are probably the most widely kept and sold variety of dwarf hamster. They are very sociable and may be kept in pairs or larger groups. In-fighting is uncommon, but may necessitate the removal of one or more trouble-makers. Diabetes Mellitus has been reported in this species, and affected individuals must not be used for breeding, as there is an inherited element. Selective breeding may help to eliminate the problem. Campbells have (perhaps undeservedly) acquired a reputation for biting. Again, breeders should make efforts to selectively breed from placid individuals, and to avoid intensive inbreeding, which may worsen the problem. There are several colour and coat varieties available in addition to the normal grey-brown agouti.
Albino Despite several years of breeding experience, it is still not clear whether this white-spotted phenotype is the result of the action of a single dominant gene, or whether there are other genes involved. There appear to be two grades of white spotting. The first is a small amount of white confined to the neck, often referred to as "collared" whilst the remainder have a variable amount of spotting over the entire coat, which may include the belly fur. It is possible that a second white spotting gene is involved, and there are some similarities to the banded (Ba) and dominant spot (Ds) genes in Syrians. There are definite similarities with the anophthalmic white gene (Wh) in Syrians, in that a proportion of the offspring from a Mottled to Mottled cross are very small, pure white animals which usually die within a week of birth. If the eyelids are gently opened, small red eyes are found. Mottled should not, therefore, be mated to Mottled if one wants to avoid the production of such offspring.
Wavy/Satin Both coat types have recently been described, and may be combined with any of the above colour/spotting genes. In the last few years, several new colour varieties have been described. Platinum, Black and Opal are all available in the UK. Linda Price from the California Hamster Association has details and pictures of all these varieties on her web site www.geocities.com/AAAHamsters. |
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