Colour and Coat Varieties
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Golden
What is a Golden Hamster ?In 1840, George Robert Waterhouse, then curator of the Zoological Society of London, described what he considered to be a new species of hamster. His description in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society referred to "its deep golden yellow colouring". The new species was named Cricetus Auratus, which broadly translates to "Golden Hamster". It was later renamed Mesocricetus Auratus, to place it in the category of middle-sized hamsters. Syrian hamsters were brought to the UK in 1931. To begin with, golden was the only colour, but new varieties soon appeared. Although the terms "golden hamster" and "Syrian hamster" have been used interchangably, "golden" should apply only to the original wild (or Agouti) colour. A good example of a modern golden hamster is more akin to deep mahogany red than golden.
Fortunately, being the natural colour, golden is easy to breed. In genetic terms it is a dominant gene, that is to say, if you cross goldens with other colours, there is a good chance that you will get more goldens. Most hamster colour genes are recessive (see later), and the exceptions are easy to remember. Related Links:
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