Genotype Lists

[radiocricket]

The hamsters were with a show breeder. The "roans" had very little roaning, only a bit of roaning on their rumps, which is not typical of Roans, but common of "ee" carrying Polywhite. I don't find the show breeder to be wrong in assuming that it was Roan and not Polywhite, better to be safe than sorry but when only "poor" roans are produced in a line, Polywhite would be the first thing I'd consider.

I'd be very surprised Polywhites have not already arrived through the commercial route to the UK. "dd" has already shown up in a UK pet store and that's a fairly new mutation. There's proof that Polywhite's been around since at least '98-'99 in Holland, I'd have to find the book to verify the date and location. Polywhite can present so much like Wh, that I can understand how it's been hiding for so long and breeders take a cautious approach to Wh hamster that there'd never be a chance of a homozygous hamster to prove one way or the other.

-Janice

[lisab]

We will have to have to agree to disagree on that i think. Untill i see proof i wont belive sorry

[radiocricket]

LOL, that's what I tried to explain to them! Unfortunately, the easiest way to prove whether it's Whitebellied or Polywhite is to breed to a Polywhite, which isn't possible yet in the UK. To breed to prove it's Polywhite, not Roan, will take many more hamsters (without breeding two together obviously) and it definitely becomes a project.

When I see an "ee" hamster marked like this:


I immediately think "carrying Polywhite" before I'll ever think "Roan". The photos of the two Roans I spoke of had even less white than the photo above. All of the Roans I've seen have significantly more white than this, to the point that their bodies are practically all white and many of them have a white spot on their foreheads.

We can definitely agree to disagree. In the future, if you, or anyone else, come across a "poor Roan" that more resembles the photo above than the typical Roan, you're welcome to contact me and I can suggest some possible breedings for you to do that could help determine whether it's truly a poor Roan or really heterozyous Polywhite. The odds are high it's in the UK as if you saw the hamster above in a UK pet store, would you have thought Polywhite? What about three years ago or ten years ago? Heck, 4-5 years ago I saw what I now know were Minks carrying Polywhite in pet stores and even posted to a forum telling breeders to be aware of the poor Roans!! When you don't think it's possible, it's hard to consider it being anything else other than what you already know.

-Janice