| Colours and Markings |
| The Syrian hamster's original coat pattern is orange, or golden, fur with black and white highlights around its face. Nowadays, the Syrian hamster has been bred to have a variety of coat mutations (or patterns), colours, and coat lengths. Below is a list of 12 common colour mutations of the Syrian hamster, followed by a list of specific markings an individual hamster may have. Syrian hamsters today also have a variety of Coat Types. |
| Albino These hamsters, like all true albinos, have no pigment. Therefore, they have pure white fur, pink eyes and ears, and pink feet. They are sensitive to sunlight, due to their colourless bodies. Banded The banded hamster has a thick, white band across the middle of its back. The band can sometimes be incomplete, irregular or dotted with colour. These hamsters have white undersides. Black-Eared Albino Also known as the Dark Eared White, these hamsters are sometimes mistaken as true albinos because of their snow-white fur and pink eyes. However, these hamsters have dark ears (usually gray) and can have short or long fur. Black Syrian This variation has jet black fur, ears and eyes. It has a white stripe that runs from its chin to its belly, and often has white around its pink feet. It is also known as the European Black Bear hamster. Cinnamon Also known as Amber-Gold, this variation is an rich, solid, cinnamon-brown. It has dark brown cheekflashes running from its jaw to its ear on either side of its face, with an ivory cheekflash below this. Cinnamon hamsters have ivory bellies, although the roots are a blueish-gray. Its ears are gray and its eyes are black. Cream Cream hamsters have a lovely cream or apricot coloured fur. It is paler on the underside. Cream hamsters usually have pink ears and eyes at birth that later darken, often ending up gray or dark gray, although its eyes still glow a fiery red. Some individuals have been known to be delicate and hard to keep; however, don't let this stop you from buying a Cream Syrian, as this only happens rarely. Dominant Spot This variation is white with an irregular pattern of coloured spots or patches scattered accross its body. There can sometimes be so many large patches of colour that hardly any white shows, although their underside is always white. These hamsters usually have a blaze (stripe) running from their nose to the centre of their face, just above the eyes. Its eyes are usually dark, but have been known to be pink if there is white fur circling them. Golden Also called Agouti, these hamsters have the original markings of Syrian hamsters: orange, or golden, short fur that is darker at the roots. They have an off-white underside; this colour extends up the side of the hamster, near its jaw, to form a crescent shape on either side of its face. Golden hamsters have darker cheekflashes (usually black or dark brown) running from their jaw to their ear, just in front of the white crescent. Piebald This variation is believed to be extinct. It is similar to the Dominant Spot as it is white with irregular coloured spots, but these spots are not only on its back, but also on its underside. Roan The Roan hamster has a white coat that is flecked with colour, making the hamster seem a solid colour from far. Sometimes there can be so much colour that not much white is visible, and other times the flecks can only be seen on the hamster's head. Two Roan hamsters should not be mated together as they can produce eyeless, white-furred offspring. Silver Gray The Silver Gray hamster has a silver gray coat with a darker roots. It has an ivory face with dark gray cheekflashes, dark gray ears and black eyes. It has an off-white underside. Umbrous These hamsters can have any coat colour and pattern. What makes them special is that their coat seems to be "washed" with a layer of gray, making the colour of its coat appear misted. For example: a golden hamster would look grayer and its ivory underside and cheekflashes would turn gray. |
| Common Colour Mutations |
| Coat Markings |
| Arch An arch is an incomplete white band, extending from a hamster's white underside to about half-way up the hamster's side, ending with a rounded edge. Band A band is a thick white stripe extending from the hamster's white belly and stretching all the way across the middle of the hamster's back. It is sometimes irregular in shape or broken by a strip of colour. The band sometimes has spots of colour in it. Blaze A blaze is a stripe running from the hamster's muzzle to the centre of its face; it usually covers its whole muzzle, getting thinner towards the centre of the hamster's face. Cheekflash A cheekflash is a thick stripe of colour running from the hamster's jaw to its ear; one cheekflash is found on either side of the hamster's face. Cheeflashes are of a different colour than the rest of the hamster's body. Crescent Crescents ressemble cheekflashes and arches. Like archs (but unlike cheekflashes), it is a crescent-shaped extension of colour from the hamster's belly, and is therefore the same colour as the underside of the hamster (often white). Unlike archs, however, the crescent is found on either side of the hamster's face, running from its jaw to its ear. It is usually found behind a cheekflash. Patches Patches are simply large, irregular-shaped patterns of colour on the back or face of a white hamster. Sometimes there are so many patches that hardly any white shows through. Spots Spots are small points of colour on a white hamster's back or face. Stripe Stripes are thin strips of colour or white on a hamster's face or back. They are not often seen on Syrian hamsters. If a hamster does have a stripe, it is usually a white blaze or a dark dorsal stripe. Some people consider the strip of colour that sometimes divides a white band a stripe. White Underside A hamster with a white underside (belly) means that the area from the throat to the tail underneath the hamster is either white, ivory, or off-white. |
| What is a Hamster? Breeds Body Language Colours and Markings Histor of the Syrian Hamster |
 |
| Common Colour Mutations Coat Markings |
 |