Winter white litters

[esowsi]

Hi all,

I bought a pair of winter white hamsters. I was told both was sapphire color. But when the litter grows older, i am having doubts now since it does not look like sapphire. I am thinking this is a hybrid winter white. Please see pics. Can someone ID the color of the litter. Thanks for your response!

[chesca_27]

4 of them look like normal WWs to me and the other could be a pearl but he does seem to be a bit of a strange colour! He could also be a sapphire, but I'm not too sure. I believe you can get sapphire pearls, but I've never seen one. It could be the lighting though. I have a pearl winter white so if I attach a photo of him, you can compare.

Who is the breeder? Do their hamsters come with pedigrees? Where in the world are you based?

Just because they're not Sapphires, doesn't mean they won't be pure WWs. You would need a pedigree though to prove it. My Larry-Jasper is a pedigree WW.

[Fluffagrams]

From the photos and based on others I've seen on the show bench I'd be inclined to say that several looked more like Normal Campbells rather than Winter Whites but I'm not sure where the paler one would best fit which might suggest that they are Hybrids as you suspect.

Here's the Midland Hamster Club's page on Purebred Campbell colours: Campbell's Russian Hamster

And here's their page on Purebred Winter White colours: Winter White Russian Hamster

Where did you get them from? If they're from a pet shop then they are more likely to be Hybrids although could have more Campbells in them than Winter White or vice versa. Pet shops have been known to label their Russian hamsters as Winter Whites but unless they come with a pedigree, you can't really be sure that this is what you are getting.

[chesca_27]

Having a second look at them - Fluffagrams is right! They do look quite like Campbells. That would explain the orangey fur tinge.