Syrian Hamsters

Syrian Hamster

Biology

Syrian hamsters are probably the most common of the pet hamsters and are considered to be good pets because of
their docile and inquisitive nature. This is the hamster type you should get if this is a pet for a child. Most hamsters
found in American and English pet stores are Syrian . They originally had coats in what is called "agouti" -- a
combination of brown, black and gold -- giving them the name "Golden" hamsters. But now they can be found in
many color variations such as Cream, Blond, White, Banded, Calico, Tortoishell, and Sable. Typical in most pet stores
the original short-haired coloration is labeled as a "Golden Hamster" and other color varieties as "Fancy Hamsters
 

Syrian Varieties

There are more than 40 coat colorations but only three types of coats.

Short Hair:

Sometimes referred to as the "Fancy", this is the look you most often think of when you think of a hamster

Long Hair:

Also called the "Teddy Bear," with the male having longer hair than that of the female.

Rex: 

 Longer coat hair looks like it is held up by shorter hair.  They also have curly whiskers.  This is a rare coat type,

not usually found in pet stores.

 All three coat types also comes in what is called "Satin" which is a glossy appearance to the coat because
 the hair is thinner and has less air-cells creating a coat that appears more reflective.

 Coat Patterns

 There are actually three different coat markings but only two are commonly found today.

             Banded:

This is a white band around the middle of the body and most often the band will have color intermingled in the

white band as it is difficult to breed a pure white band.  For show purposes the band is suppose to cover one

third of the full body length.  Belly fur is also white.

             Dominant Spot

This coloration is patches of white all over the face and back, a blaze of white on the forehead and sometimes

spots on the ears.  The belly fur is white.  

(The Calico, sometimes called the Tri-color and most often the referred to as the Tortoishell and White in Europe is created with either the Banded or the Dominant Spot)
 

Piebald

The third and rarely found pattern is the original spotting gene and sometimes called irregular spotting. 

This coat pattern is haphazard and may include brindling.

 Mutations

 Some Syrians carry "lethal or semi-lethal" genes. This comes from receiving double of certain genes and will result in
death of the hamster. The only lethal gene that you might come in contact with is the "Light Gray" or "Lethal Gray"
and the Dominate Spot.(this information is only really important if you are breeding your hamsters)
 

Territorial Marking

 As with many mammals these little guys will mark their territory, using secretions from a special scent gland near their hips,
males tend to lick near the gland, and then rub this area on items to mark their territory as "taken". Females will use bodily
secretions and feces when marking to indicate that she is ready to mate. Occasionally the gland secrete a sticky substance
with is normal but in some rare occasions the glands can become blocked causing the gland area to become sore and
inflamed and require a veterinarian visit.
 

 For more information on hamster check out the other articles listed in the menu above or on the
Hamster Homepage.
 

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