Hybrid Hamsters

Unlike other pet hamster species, namely Syrians, Roborovskis and Chinese hamsters, the Winter White Russians (Phodopus sungorus) and Campbell’s dwarf hamsters (Phodopus campbelli) are able to interbreed. Brought together, they may produce hybrid offspring that are both viable and fertile.

Hybrid animals are scarce in nature but may often be produced without difficulties in captivity. Hybridizing species are always very closely related – you cannot hybridize a cat with a dog.

The most prominent example of a hybrid animal is probably the mule, a descendant of a horse and a donkey. Tigons and ligers, the offspring of captive tigers and lions are also quite well-known hybrids.

In earlier years, Winter White and Campbell’s dwarf hamsters were classified as subspecies, but researchers have declared their species status¹. They are sister species that inhabit different geographical areas and have different adaptations for a successful living in their own habitat.

The species have differences in e.g. their behaviour^2,3, metabolism and adaptations to winter⁴. The Campbell's hamsters are more sociable and the Campbell's males take part in the care of the young², while Winter Whites are more solitary. Winter Whites have an ability to change a white winter fur during the periods of short daylight, Campbell's hamsters maintain their full colouration all year through⁴.

Although the species usually produce viable hybrid offspring, chromosome problems may occur, as the meiosis is sometimes disrupted when the two species are hybridized⁵.

References:

¹Sokolov V. E. & Vasileva N. Y. 1993. Hybridologic analysis confirms the species specificity of Phodopus sungorus (Pallas, 1773)and Phodopus campbelli (Thomas, 1905). Doklady Akademii Nauk 332:120-3.

²Wynne-Edwards, K. E. 1995: Biparental care in Djungarian but not Siberian dwarf hamsters (Phodopus). Animal Behaviour 50:1571-1585.

³Wynne-Edwards, K. E., Surov, A. V. & Teltzina, A. Yu. 1999: Differences in endogenous activity within the genus Phodopus. Journal of Mammalogy 80:855-865.

⁴Weiner, J. & Heldmaier, G. 1986. Metabolism and thermoregulation in two races of Djungarian hamsters: Phodopus sungorus sungorus and P. s. campbelli. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology 86:639-642.

⁵Sokolov V. E., Cherepanova E. V., Safronova L. D. & Vasilieva N. Y. 1998. Anomalies of meiosis in interspecific hybrids of Phodopus sungorus and Phodopus campbelli. Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 77:355-363.

Because Campbell's hamsters have a wider variety of coat colours, hybridization is often used to transfer these colours to Winter Whites. Currently, the only pure Winter White colours are agouti, sapphire and pearl. Black, blue, albino or orange ("mandarin") Winter Whites are allegedly hybrids.

Hybrid hamsters are pretty and make good pets, but to prevent the irreversible mixing of the two species, interbreeding should be avoided.

Hybrid pictures: Hybrid dwarfs

Read The Species Names of Pet Hamsters for further information about the pet hamster species and their nomenclature