What colors are there in golden hamsters?

The coat colors of the golden hamster are basically divided into solid and multicolored and cover a surprisingly large spectrum.

From the albino in pure white up to tortoiseshell with interesting, piebald patterning, you can find especially with breeders unusual color strokes, which belong to the breed standard.

In this overview, we will show you what these are and what you have to pay attention to when breeding.

In this article you will learn which colors are found in the golden hamster and how the selection looks like with the fur types. Because since the original variants, a large spectrum of different strokes was produced by targeted breeding.

Golden hamster colors

The coat colors of golden hamsters have evolved considerably from the wild color through breeding. This is also true for the coat length and structure.

However, this is not always an advantage. Because in some matings it turned out that the offspring are hardly hairy or not even viable.

If you want to breed, you must know about these peculiarities.

On the other hand, if you only want to keep your hamster as a pet and choose a fancy color, knowledge around the appearance and associated risks can also be beneficial.
Gold hamster solid color

Solid colored golden hamsters are often teddy hamsters – that is, the long-haired variety of Syrian rodents.

However, short-haired animals can also be found.

We present the single colors to you here.
Albino

The fur is pure white, because the pigmentation is missing in the whole body. The ears appear pink or skin colored. The eyes are red.

Because of this peculiarity, the animals are particularly sensitive to light. This is true for hamsters anyway, but for them to an even greater extent.

The pure albinos can be distinguished from white golden hamsters with dark ears. They also have red eyes, but the ears are pigmented gray.

White

Here the coat is bright white on all parts of the body. The ears are flesh colored. However, the eyes are pigmented and dark, unlike those of the albinos.
Cream

The fur of cream-colored golden hamsters can be ivory to apricot. The lighter variety has a paler belly, liver-colored ears, and red eyes.

The darker animals have black eyes and dark gray ears.

Champagne colored

Champagne colored hamsters are light gray with a tendency to light purple. The ears are dark, but the eyes are red as in albinos.

Silver Sepia Colored

In this type all hairs show an interesting color gradient. The tips are dark brown to black. The roots on the other hand are silvery white.

The belly is often somewhat lighter than the rest of the body. The eyes are very dark.

Charcoal – Dark sepia

The color of the hair tips is also dark brown or even black in this variety. But the hairlines are beige in contrast to silver sepia. The eyes are black.

Besides the names Dark Sepia and Charcoal this interesting color is also called Sable.

Copper

In the solid copper color, the eyes of the hamster are dark red. The coat is reddish brown and often a little lighter on the belly. The ears appear gray-brown.

Chocolate

In this variety, the coat is chocolate brown throughout and all over the body. This also includes the ears. The only contrast is the black eyes.

Dove – Dove gray

The coat is completely blue-grey in this color. The red eyes are striking.

Black

Completely black animals, which do not show any other color markings in the coat, are desirable in this color type.

However, they often have white hairs, spots or even paws – which makes them visually unique.

Multicolored golden hamsters

Multicolored hamsters have different drawings and color tones.

Just as with particularly bright animals and rodents with red eyes, health abnormalities can arise that are related to the color scheme.

You should therefore not choose based on looks alone.

Gold

These hamsters were named after this color – which certainly doesn’t surprise you.

However, they are not completely golden brown, but have white fur on the belly, cheeks and paws. In the face the transitions are marked by black-brown stripes.

The undercoat is gray all over the body. Dark brown to black eyes and dark ears also set a color contrast.

Gold with white

The difference to the original gold is hardly noticeable at first sight. Only when you look at the undercoat, you notice that it is white and not gray.

In breeding or generally in reproduction, this factor is crucial. Because the offspring are often not viable if both parents belong to this color type.
Yellow

In contrast to the color gold, the coat here is somewhat lighter and free of white. Cheek stripes, ears and eyes are dark.

The belly may be ivory. The undercoat is beige or cream.

Purple

The base color of the body is a soft gray with a tinge of purple. The cheek stripe contrasts with it in dark purple.

The ears appear brown, the belly is lighter and the eyes are striking because of their red color.

Gray

This color pattern is similar to the purple. However, the gray does not have a purple glow. The cheek stripe is black and the belly is slightly lighter.

The gray can be light to dark and can have so-called ticking. This is black tips of the fur hairs.

The eyes are black in this variety.

Panda Hamster

The name already tells it: Pandahamster remind by their drawing of a panda bear. The head is black or dark brown.

On the back runs an eel line in the same color. The rest of the body should be white. In practice, however, panda hamsters often have other spots and markings.

Pied hamster

White as a basic color with brown, yellow, golden, gray or black spots is possible in this color type as well as another basic color with white spots.

Tortoiseshell

Tortoiseshell is another example of color having other genetic effects. This color pattern occurs exclusively in female hamsters.

The base color is always dark brown or black. On it can be lighter brownish or reddish spots.

Some specimens have additional white markings, making them tricolored.

White band

This is a special feature of the pattern. The name already reveals what it is: a white band.

This runs centrally around the body and ideally takes up one third of the body length.

Head and rump can have any color.

Note: White banded hamsters are only born when at least one of the parents is a carrier of the gene.

Guineagold

This variety has as a base orange-red, striking fur. Above this is a light brown shading at the transitions. The cheek stripes are a more intense, darker orange-brown or rusty brown.

Dark ears and eyes contrast with the fiery coat.

Cinnamon – Cinnamon colors

Cinnamon hamsters are cinnamon brown with soft brown shading and blending.

Dark red eyes, a lighter belly, and a brown cheek stripe provide contrast in markings.

Coat variations

Not only with regard to the colors there is a great variety in hamsters. The coat variants also offer some differences:

Normal hair
Longhair
Satin
Rex

Normal hair is short, dense and fits close to the body. Longhair is woolly, soft and can reach a length of several centimeters.

Hamsters with satin fur have short fur, which is particularly shiny. In Rex the fur is wavy.

Through further crossbreeding, satin Rex or mixtures of normal and long hair can also be found.

However, when breeding, care must be taken that mating two animals with satin fur results in offspring with very little hairiness.
Coat colors in hamsters

If you want to have a hamster in a particularly unusual color, you should visit a reputable breeder.

This also applies to rarer coat variations. In addition, you should deal with the heredity in detail, if you want to breed yourself.

Suitable contacts for this are breeding clubs.

Would you like to see the unusual coat colors live? Then visit exhibitions or breeders directly.