Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamster (Phodopus Sungorus)
| Also known as the Siberian hamsters, winter white Russians are often mistaken as the Campbell Russians because they are similar in appearance and may be found in the same regions. Both the Russian Campbells and the winter white russians are originally believed to be one and the same species, or subspecies. In later scientific writings, it is agreed that the two types of hamsters are separate and distinct species.
Siberian hamsters are called "winter white" because their fur have the ability to turn to a winter white coat during short day length, ie. during the winter months when the hours of darkness are longer than the hours of light. As winter whites are not allowed to enter shows in their winter coat (they takes months to change coats) and they tend to breed more readily when they are out of their winter coat, one of the ways to prevent them from changing coat is to increase the hours of light artificially (such as placing fluorescent tubes) which in effect lengthens the day. Colors: Normal, pearl and sapphired-colored winter whites.
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