Mink hamsters

[sarah]

Hiya I was hoping someone could tell me a little about the Mink colour found in hamsters. Tinker who I got from babyboos is developing a beautiful coat which almost seems two-toned as he carries the umbrous gene (making the tips to his hairs darker). He also carries the rex gene I think which makes his coat a bit fluffier and wavy which also catches the light in different ways. I must get some pictures up soon to show you how much he is developing into a gorgeous little hamster.



Sorry Morag - I remember you telling me a bit about his genetics but I was so excited about getting a new hammy I don't think I absorbed the info properly It would be nice to know a bit about how the Mink colouring comes about - I can't see any reference to it on other websites.



Is Mink the same as Dove?

[Pendragon]

Hi Sarah,



I have a mink girl, Maple - this is she:







The pic doesn't show off the two-tone colour very well; she has a lovely bronzy sheen over her coat.



Genetically, Mink is a combination of Cream [ee], Cinnamon [pp] and the dominant Umbrous gene [U-]. The Cream gene gives an all-over colour; the Cinnamon gene makes it orangey, and the Umbrous adds the brown highlights. The eyes are darkish red due to the Cinnamon (pink eyed gene) but darkened by the Cream and Umbrous.



It is a very attractive colour, which is why Maple is my only pet-shop hamster!



As to the coat, some Rex hamsters don't have a very wavy coat at all, and the only real way to tell is if they have curly whiskers. Forte is my black Rex, you can see in this pic how crinkly his whiskers are... the curl right round towards his nose.





Carrying the Rex gene probably doesn't affect a hamster's coat; they need two Rex genes to be a Rex, and if they only have one, they will appear normal coated, so you either have a Rex or you don't!



Do you have piccies???

[babyboos]

No Dove is a combination of Cinnamon and Black. Mink or Caramel Mink as some call it is an Umbrous Red Eyed Cream. Minks have an orange/brownish color, with a cream undercoat and cream eye circles for anyone who hasn't seen one. Long-haired Minks have a greyish tint while Short-haired Minks are more orange. Minks have dark red eyes, sometimes so dark that they are almost indistinguishable from black eyes. As babies, Minks tend to be a light dingy brown-grey color and they turn brighter as they grow.



Mink (Caramel) eeppUuRxrxLl is your guy if I have my coding right



Where eepp is Red Eyed Cream - ee is Black Eyed Cream and pp is Cinnamon. Umbrous as you quite rightly say is a darkening gene which makes alters the tips of the hairs. Umbrous, U is a dominant gene therefore only one parent need carry it as in the case of your little one, hence Uu. A Mink hamster is effectively a Sable which is also pure breeding for Cinnamon. Sable is U_ee (the _ reflects the corresponding U can be U or u depending if derived from one or both parents). Adding Cinnamon to the mix (pp) causes the lovely deep garnet red eyes and makes the coat a deep rich pinkish cream. You saw some Red Eyed Cream boys (brothers) when you chose your hamster.



Rex (rxrx) is a recessive gene so again to be properly Rex he would need to have inherited this gene from both parents, which he did not, therefore he may be carrying it (Rxrx) but is not fully showing it. He also potentially has one longhaired gene (Ll), another recessive gene, from one parent.



I hope this makes sense, it is late, and please ask further questions if you want and I will do my best to explain.

[babyboos]

Mink Short Haired 2 weeks old



































Mink Short Haired 1 year old