What is a Hybrid?

 

A hybrid is the offspring of two similar species of plant or animal that wouldn't normally meet or mate in the wild. The most well known hybrid is the Mule - the sterile offspring of a horse and donkey. When it comes to hamsters though are we talking about the same thing? Yes indeed we are, hybrid dwarf hamsters are a cross species of Winter White dwarf hamsters and Campbells dwarf hamsters. The mistake most people make with hamsters is assuming that they are all just different breeds as you get with dogs and cats however the different hamster names you see are all different species of the same family. For example a Syrian is to a Roborovski like a Wolf is to a Dog. Similar in biology but at the same time very different!

 

The five species of hamster are Syrian, Winter White dwarf, Campbells dwarf, roborovski dwarf and Chinese hamster.

Out of these five the only two that can successfully mate together are the Winter White and Campells dwarfs. This is because they closely related other and both have 28 chromosomes meaning that they can birth live offspring if they mate together. Unlike some hybrid animals, hybrid dwarf hamsters are not sterile.

 

The hamster hybrid is a little more complicated still. The two species a hybrid's genetics consist of are Winter White Russian Dwarfs and Campbell's Russian Dwarfs but hybrids aren't just created by breeding a male and female of the two species together, a hamster is considered hybrid if there are any genes from other species anywhere at all in their ancestry. That means that even if a hamster has 12 generations of pure Campbell's genes, if there is a single Winter White in the line then the all offspring thereafter will be hybrids although by this point the winter white's genes will have been mostly bred out.

 

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Surely It's No Different To Breeding Two Different Breeds Of Dog Together?

 

A lot of inexperienced, misinformed and naive hamster owners and even some pet shops say that there is nothing wrong with breeding Campbell's and Winter Whites together because it is exactly the same as breeding two dogs such as a Labrador and Alsatian together. This is completely wrong. 

 

Dogs can be bred together without problems because they are different breeds of the same species, they are biologically compatible but Winter Whites and Campbell's were never meant to meet and never meant to mate so the complications that come with breeding them can be devastating and very common. 

 

 

 

So What's The Problem?

 

Though some people continue to dismiss hybrid hamsters as a "Who cares?" topic there are many reasons why the breeding of hybrids is dangerous and such a huge problem. 

 

For the mother of a Hybrid litter giving birth can be life threatening as the two species are different sizes and have different sized babies. Sometimes during birth the hybrid babies can be too big for the mother to push out leading to her dying an agonising death and also leading to the death of the whole litter. For those who have witnessed this it can be greatly traumatic to see and hear the mother screaming in pain and there is nothing that can be done to help her. An emergency c-section is possible but the chance of survival is very slim.

 

For those hybrids who do make it through birth the future of some can be just as traumatic. Many do lead very normal lives with any problems they suffer from being minor or unnoticeable but there are still many who suffer horribly because of hybrid breeding. 

 

Hybrids tend to have a shorter life span than other hamster species, on average living between only 12-18 months though you will always have exceptions. Despite looking perfectly healthy when you buy them from pet shops they can develop any number of health problems over the course of their lives including diabetes and mild to severe neurological problems. Some of the neurological problems have been compared to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in humans. This is where the sufferer has intrusive and obsessive thoughts that cause high levels of anxiety and may lead to panic attacks, to prevent this the sufferer performs an act such as washing their hands to relieve their anxiety. This act soon becomes a compulsion and the sufferer has no choice but to perform them when the intrusive thoughts are present to relieve that feeling of severe anxiety. As the neurological patterns of hamsters cannot yet be studied so deeply it is not certain if their compulsions are caused by the same feelings of anxiety however it is assumed that their compulsions derive from similar anxious thought such as feelings of being in immediate danger. 

 

Common compulsive behaviours seen in hybrids include back flipping, spinning in circles, head-tilting, pulling out fur, self mutilation, star-gazing and sudden severe aggression. There are many people who find these antics to be funny and think that it is entertaining to watch however for the hamster this is a living hell as the cannot stop these behaviours no matter how much they may want to. Imagine not being able to stop yourself running around no matter how tired, how thirsty or how scared you are? The hamsters unfortunate enough to suffer with sudden aggression often don't stay in a home very long, they will either be returned to the shop or left at a rescue (or in the worst cases released or killed) simply because the owner does not understand how to deal with the hamsters special needs. Some even end up neglected by owners who are too scared to spend time with a hamster for fear that it may become suddenly nasty.

 

Please be aware that OCD and aggression can affect any species of hamster at any age but the hybrid is at the highest risk and is most commonly born with the neurological problems.

 

Finally, the breeding of hybrids can lead to the extinction of the two different species. This would mean that two completely different animals with different traits, genetics and behaviours will no longer exist. The only reason Campbell's and Winter White lines are still surviving today is because of the care and dedication of breeders who focus on breeding healthy and pure lines of these species in order to keep them alive. If it weren't for these breeders and the tens of shows hosted around the UK every year which help to promote and home these pure hamster lines, they could easily become animals of history. For those people who still think "Who cares if they become extinct?" think about the following scenario that someone once told me. Imagine that it was possible to breed cats and dogs together to make a cat/dog hybrid. Now imagine that this hybrid was bred so much that pure cats and dogs began to die out until neither species existed in the world and became extinct. How would you feel if you could only buy this cat/dog hybrid and you could never buy or see another pure cat or dog again? This is the same scenario that Campbell's and Winter Whites are in danger of and both hamster owners and breeders who love these species would be devastated to lose them. 

 

 

 

How Can We Stop The Breeding Of Hybrids?

 

The easiest way to stop the breeding of hybrids is to stop buying them. By stopping the demand for them pet shops and rodent farms will stop the breeding of them but this is a lot easier said than done if the only place near you to get hamsters is a pet shop. Almost every single Russian, Winter White and Campbell's sold in pets shops will be hybrids and it is very rare and unlikely that you will find any pure lines so try to avoid buying any of these three from pet shops if you can help it as for every one sold the pet shop can buy seven more which means the supplier will breed more, many pet shops now have adoption centres where you can adopt hybrids and none of the money will go to the shop and so you are not being part of the demand for hybrids. 

 

You could also put out adverts offering a home to an unwanted hamster, there are always people looking to re-home hamsters they can no longer keep or just do not want. It is much more satisfying and rewarding to give one of these a home. You could even visit your local RSPCA or rescue centre and see if they have any hamsters who need new homes. 
 

If there are no rescues or adoption centres near you then please don't feel bad about buying a hybrid from a pet shop, they can still make wonderful pets and no one should stop you from giving a home to an animal that you are going to love and provide for. We just ask that those of you with access to rescues and adoption centres will consider taking a look in them and remember the good that it will do.

 

If you are set on getting a pure Winter White or Campbell's there are many breeders of the pure species all over the UK and their contact details can be found on the National Hamster Council's website. Avoid buying "pure" Winter Whites or Campbell's from anyone not registered with the NHC or affiliated clubs as you cannot guarantee that the hamster isn't a hybrid or is healthy. The NHC breeders breed for health above all else and 'cut' the lines of any hamsters which show genetic health problems - meaning that they stop breeding from them or any of their offspring. Although being a member of the NHC or affiliated clubs does not guarantee that the lines are 100% pure it is much more likely that they are and the hamster will also be much healthier and have a better temperament. When you purchase a hamster from them it comes with a pedigree, a certificate showing their ancestry that can date back up to ten generations! With this pedigree you will be able to see that your hamster's ancestors were all of the same species.

 

 Show breeders who have been NHC members for more than a year usually register a show prefix and receive a certificate with this prefix, their name and their address on it. They cannot receive one of these certificates if they have been in the NHC for less than a year. If you feel unsure about a breeder you can ask to see this certificate as proof that they are part of the NHC, if they refuse to show you one or you are still unsure about them don't buy your hamsters from them and instead seek out a different breeder, there are many to chose from. 

 

 

 

How Can I Spot A Hybrid?

 

It's not always easy to tell if a Winter White or Campbell's is a hybrid as some hybrids have more physical features of one species over the other. Some look exactly like the pure species but will be carriers of the opposite species genetics. The easiest way to spot a hybrid is when they have the body shape of one species and the colour of another, for example my own rescue hybrid, Pippy, displays the colours of a typical sapphire winter white however she has the slender body and narrow snout of a Campbell's. Some hybrids are even able to change into a winter coat like Winter Whites do. If you bought your Winter White or Campbell's from a pet shop or hobby breeder who does not supply pedigrees then you should assume that the hamster is a hybrid.