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Winter White Dwarf Hamster
The Winter White Russian dwarf hamster (Phodopus sungorus) is also known as the Siberian hamster or Djungarian hamster.
This is one of three species of hamster in the genus Phodopus. It is ball-shaped and approximatly half the size of the Syrian hamster. Typical features include a thick, dark grey dorsal stripe and furry feet. In the wild as winter approaches and the days shorten, the darker fur is almost entirely replaced with soft white fur. However, in captivity this is less commonly observed.
The coat is less woolly than that of the Campbell's dwarf hamster and apart from the normal colouring, they can be coloured sapphire, sapphire pearl, normal pearl, merle and imperial white. The snout is shorter and more square than a Campbells as well as the body being rounder and more egg-shaped. They are larger than Campbells in general and are the largest species of dwarf hamster.
Just like Campbells they have 28 chromosomes which is why these two species of hamster are the only species that can interbreed and birth live hybridised young. Purposeful hybridisation of these species is unethical and heavily discouraged as the young are often born with numerous health problems. Hybridisation is harmful to mother, pups and the two species as a whole.