Platinum Roborovski's

here is the link to pic of the platnum rob http://homepage.mac.com/dymph/roborovski/index.html

[SnuggleHam]

Originally Posted by jesse

here is the link to pic of the platnum rob http://homepage.mac.com/dymph/roborovski/index.html

The link takes you to the home page with a image that is randomly generated Jesse. I don't see what picture you are talking about? As far as I know the only color variation in the robo is the white face. I looked around on the website and didn't find anything about the platinum robo. I did see a picture of one that appeared to be all white though, and thats unusual. Can you perhaps link us to the actual photo and not the page its on?

Edit: It seems that Platinums a white version of a robo. I assume they managed to bread the white faced gene enough to have the color cover the entire body?





Apparently there is a problem that seems to pop up in hamsters that have the white faced or platinum gene called spinning. The website shows two videos of robo hamsters with a sever cases of this problem. I watched them and its quite disturbing! I read it is not known at present if the spinning defect is somehow linked to color or if this is merely a by-effect of increased inbreeding.

Here is a link to these clips. You have to download them.
http://homepage.mac.com/dymph/roboro...inningrobo.mpg
http://homepage.mac.com/dymph/roboro...ing_lijuan.mpg

I'm not sure how I feel about all this. I mean Robo hams are the newest of dwarf hamsters on the pet market, they really haven't been around that long! people seem to be having trouble keeping them together in colonies that actually get along still. The Platinum is a beautiful coloration, but I wonder if its worth tampering with?

I suppose this is how all hamster color variation's are born? But through inbreeding?

its on my profile on side

[SnuggleHam]

Originally Posted by jesse

its on my profile on side

Dont worry Jesse, I got it sorted out. Ive edited my original reply.

i realy want 1 but where to get 1 and do they all spin.

[SnuggleHam]

Originally Posted by jesse

i realy want 1 but where to get 1 and do they all spin.

I'm not sure where you can get one of this type. Maybe if you contacted the admin of that website you posted they can tell you if they are anywhere in the US. They are probably very rare at this point I'm sure, you would likely have to pay for some to be shipped to you by air and that is quite expensive.

I doubt they all spin, but they may carry the spinning gene, if you were to find a white faced or platinum. You would have to find a breeder who knows about their hamsters genetic lines. I don't know much about it, this is the first of heard of the mutation.

[babyboos]

It is all very sad - spinning is just one of the health side effects the incessant inbreeding of Roborovski has exacerbated. I am a purist and far prefer the natural colour of Robo which is actualy quite rare with the wash out effect the white-face is bringing to the species.

[SnuggleHam]

Originally Posted by babyboos

It is all very sad - spinning is just one of the health side effects the incessant inbreeding of Roborovski has exacerbated. I am a purist and far prefer the natural colour of Robo which is actually quite rare with the wash out effect the white-face is bringing to the species.

I've never seen a white faced robo in person before. As far as I know you can only find them around California. Only over the past year have I been seeing robo's in the chain pet stores and they have all been natural color. I'm sure that will change in time in the US.

I don't know much about breeding to obtain new colors in hamster, but is inbreeding a common practice to achieve this? Or is it just more looking for unique traits that naturally come out and then selectively breeding for it?

[racinghamster]

I hav`nt downloaded the links, but although very beautiful, I don`t agree with breeding hamsters or any rodent for colour if it causes other inbred problems like this. It`s so wrong.

I had a pair of degus once (one sadly had to be put to sleep while undergoing an operation) and the other female I rehomed with someone who had degus. Anyway, I read on a degu website that someone attending one of those large `pet fairs` came across a stall with degus in a cage. She started talking to the guy running the stall and he said if they could capture the colours of this animal, they would virtually take off in the pet trade. So basically what he was saying was, nobody wants the dull brown, but if they could breed colours like albino, reds, goldens etc....degus would certainly get more interest.

That`s all very well, but if the health of the animal in question is jeopardised, it`s not worth `experimenting` to find out.

Roborovski hamsters are very unique little hamsters and are very, very timid little things, which is why they should be more of a specialist pet in the right hands, rather than in pet shops worldwide. You can imagine sellers rubbing their greedy hands at the thought of having albino roborovskis.

[SnuggleHam]

Originally Posted by racinghamster

You can imagine sellers rubbing their greedy hands at the thought of having albino roborovskis.

I don't think these white robo's are albino, at least from what I can tell in the picture their eye seem to be black. I know what you mean though, about them seeming to be a more specialized hamster.