What's the difference?

[Gust0o]

I currently own a pair of Winter White males, and they're the most adorable little things going.

I have - though - always wondered what it would have been like if I'd bought the Campbells in the cage opposite.

I know there are some minor physical differences, but what really seperates these two species?

[Bunsey]

well i've never had campbells, but i'm told they're more likely to stay in pairs, they're more animated (i.e. more active - my WWs just sit splatted out) and that they're cage territorial and some won't let you put your hand in the cage.

if they're from pet shops then WWs are likely to be hybrid anyway, so there won't be a lot of difference between them and campbells.

[Gust0o]

my WWs just sit splatted out

Ha, I've noticed that one!

Am very happy with dwarves I have - but I'm always wondering about how the family might grow

[Holly]

I've never had Campbells but, when reading about them, it always seems to say they are much more likely to nip/bite than winter whites - don't know if that's actually true or not but I've read it several times. It's why I plumped for winter whites really.

[chase]

Campbells are less quarrelsome amongst themselves , but all Campbells I have had in past & now are quite bitey.
ww only come in few colours but Campbells have more colours.
WW in pairs are also more vocal.
I personally find the WW easier to handle.

[Jane]

I've never have winter white, but did have three gorgeous campbell boys. I did end up splitting them into a pair and a loner but that was after a few months and then they lived as a pair happily, and also enjoyed time out of the cage together. They weren't that cage territorial really and it was easy to get around. They were quite tame, considerying they were already a year old when I got them and hadn't been handled much at all.

[PinkEmily]

Ive never had a ww so cant compare but i can say that my campbells have only bitten once and it was my fault (Dale was chatting to Chip from the other side of Chips cage when i tried to move him he nipped me he was very sorry afterwards though and sulked for days. They like to lick my hand which is quite funny.

I have both Campbell's (4 definite Campbell males) and Winter Whites (2 males, 2 females) - as well as a few suspected hybrids so I guess I'm probably in a reasonably good position to have a guess at working out the difference.

For me, the biggest difference I see (ignoring the obviously physical) between Campbell's and Winter Whites is in terms of personality. Winter Whites are quite soppy and easily affectionate (or maybe its just the way those little eyes look so soulful?) whereas I find Campbell's make your work for that affection a lot more - it comes across that they quite clearly think that you're there to satify their needs (there's only one master of a Campbell, and believe me, it isn't you!) Their personalities seem much more distinct/extreme than WWs. My Campbell's make it very clear when they're not happy with what I'm doing and specialise in throwing strops better than I've ever seen any hamster do. They've mastered the art of how to be appear truly offended. But, once they've been won over (or - in their eyes - you've been fully trained up), I find them soppier than any WW.

Which leads me to why I suspect my Flower Girls of being hybrids. Apart from a few physical characteristics which make me think hmmm, there's WW in here somewhere, they are so curious and friendly with not a strop in sight, there's no way that they can be pure Campbell!!

So here's my rule: Campbell stroppy, WW soppy.

And if I had to make a choice? I'd have to go Campbell, purely because I adore my Campbell Jason so much. We've been together 9 months now and he's like my little puppy dog (but who sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear), I don't think he's actually a hamster at all! (but if you ask him what he thinks, he'll probably tell you that I've completed my training and I'm giving him the right kind of treatment).