Syrian Hamster Varieties
Dark Golden
Rich mahongany red with black ticking, slate-gray undercoat. Belly fur, crescents and throat as white as possible.
Ears--black
Eyes--black
Black-eyed Cream
Discovered in Yorkshire (U.K) in 1951.
Whole body fur to be peach colored throughout, no shading or marking.
Ears--very dark gray, nearly black
Eyes--jet black
Red-eyed Cream
Very fertile. Not to be confused with ruby-eyed stock.
More rufous than black-eyed cream, even in color throughout, with no fading.
Ears--flesh colored
Eyes--red (not ruby)
Ruby-eyed Cream
The body fur throughout to be pastel pinkish cream without shading.
Ears--flesh colored
Eyes--ruby (not red)
Ruby-eyed Fawn
The whole body to be a clean bright fawn, with pale gray undercoat, belly fur white.
Ears--pale gray
Eyes--ruby (not red)
Cinnamon
The body fur to be cinnamon orange on top with blue/gray undercaot. Belly fur white as possible. Flashes cinnamon brown.
Ears--cinnamon brown
Eyes--claret red
Black-eyed White
Body fur to be pure white to the roots
Ears--flesh colored (spotted ears will lose points)
Eyes--jet black
Dark-eared Albino
The body fur shall be pure white.
Ears--very dark gray, nearly black
Eyes--bright clear pink in color darkening with age
Flesh-eared Albino
Body fur to be pure white (unstained)
Ears--almost colorless
Eyes--pink as albino mice, etc.
(Only mate pure strains to avoid color change)
Sepia
Body fur to be light tawny beige, lightly ticked with dark guard (long) hairs. Pale gray undercoat.
Belly fur crescents as white as possible.
Ears--dark gray
Eyes--black
Tortoiseshell and White
Whole body fur to be colored, yellow and white patches.
Ears--color as stipulated for the full colored variety
Eyes--color as stipulated for the full colored variety
This mutation was discovered in 1962.
Piebald Tortoiseshell
The whole body fur shall be a standard color (show standard) with even size patches of color spread evenly over the whole white body fur. The white areas to be pure white to the roots.
Ears--color as stipulated for the full color variety, also partly or entirely flesh colored.
Eyes--as stipulated for the full color variety, also ruby eye or eyes permissible.
Honey
Body full shall be entirely honey colored (the color of solidified honey) to the roots. Crescents and belly fur light honey.
Ears and flashes--honey gray
Eyes--claret red
White Band
Body fur shall be as any standard color variety superimposed by a white band around the middle; approximately one third of the body shall be a clearly defined clean cut white band.
Ears--generally mottles, but may be as in full colored variety.
Eyes--as full colored variety
Satin
Color, type, etc. as for the full color variety, allowing for increase in color through satinization. The coat shall be extremely fine and glossy, giving a satin sheen.
NOTE: Under no circumstances should two satins be mated together or double satinization will result which gives a very unpleasant appearance to the coat. At all times mate satin to non-satin.
Gray
The top coat shall be dark gray ticked with black and a band of pearly gray should be seen on parting the fur. The base of the fur shall be pale gray, almost white. Chest band dark gray. Cheek flashes deeply pigmented and crisply defined, bordered by white crescents.
Ears--very dark gray, nearly black
Eyes--black
Beige
The top coat shall be beige, carried well down into the fur. The belly fur shall be pale beige, the crescents very pale beige.
Ears--dark beige
Eyes--black
Blonde
The whole coat shall be blonde in color carried well down into the fur
Ears--flesh colored
Eyes--very dark ruby red, almost black
Guinea-Gold
The whole coat shall be guinea-gold in color, with no dark guard hairs. Belly fur creany gold. Creascents and collar dark guinea-gold.
Ears--black
Eyes--black
Long-haired Hamsters
Color, type, etc. as for the full color variety. The coat shall be as long as possible, soft and silky to the touch with no matting or signs of matting being cut or pulled out, allowance being made for sex (only the males having the long skirt).
