One of the best parts about hamsters is their fur color because the different colors can give your furry friend a unique look that makes them stand out. However, most hamsters are of a similar color and just share slight differences in tone and color layouts.
If you don’t have a hamster already, you may be wondering what colors these little balls of fur come in before you go adopt one. And that’s why we’ve written this article. If you already own a hamster, you may just be curious about the most common and rarest color schemes.
In the following sections, we’ll cover everything you need to know about hamster colors, including all of the different tones, the most common colors, the rarest ones, and colors by the type of hamster. So without further ado, let’s jump into the table of contents.
What are All the Colors Can a Hamster Be?
Hamsters can come in all different types of colors, but you may have noticed that the most common colors are shades of brown or tan. And while that makes for a cute hamster, you may see hamsters in all different types of colors.
These common colors are often found naturally because the genes passed down dictate what is essentially a standard or natural color. The more rare colors that we’ll talk about in a section below come from specific breeding of two different types of colors. So unless you’re intentionally breeding gold and black to get a golden brown, you’ll likely see one of the colors on this list.
The most common hamster colors are listed in the table below. And while these aren’t in any order, they should give you an idea of the different types of hamsters you may see in a pet store or in the wild.
| Common Hamster Colors |
|---|
| Golden |
| Black |
| Cream |
| Cinnamon |
| White |
| Rust |
| Dark Grey |
| Light Grey |
| Silver Grey |
| Yellow |
For more information and references on the colors guide, check out this Wikipedia article.
These colors are the most common because they are the most common genes passed down from hamster generation to generation. However, you can breed hamsters of different colors to create a new or blended colors of the ones above. They’re obviously not as common because they require specific breeding, but if you’re interested in more rare colors, you can find them in the next section.
What are the Most Rare Hamster Colors?
While the section above provided a table of the most common hamster colors, there are hamsters that come in colors and patterns that aren’t as common. These more rare colors are a result of specific or accidental breeding of different colors to create a new color or blended color design. And you may notice that not only will you see more unique colors, but patterns as well. So instead of a solid color, you may see a blend of gold and brown if you breed two hamsters that are gold and brown.
So when two hamsters of say dark grey and rust mate, you may see a rare beige hamster. Or you may breed a black and golden hamster to that results in a hamster with a blended golden brown coat.
There are effectively an endless amount of rare colors and blended patterns that you can get by mating just about any two hamsters. And it’s not guaranteed to get a different color because genes are a bit random, but it certainly increases the likelihood of getting a varied color scheme or pattern.
Here are hamster colors that are more rare and not often found naturally:
| Rare Hamster Colors |
|---|
| Beige |
| Golden Brown |
| Patterned |
| Blended Colors |
What is the Rarest Hamster Color?
While it’s impossible to say what the rarest hamster color is naturally, the most rare color is often thought to be beige, which is a result of a dark grey and rust colored hamster breeding.
There isn’t a lot of research or studies around hamster colors, so no one knows for sure what is the most rare color in the wild, but any of the colors in the table above are considered rare. And just think, of all the hamsters you’ve seen in pet stores and in homes, how many are beige?
In fact, how many are silver? Or cinnamon? Or just cream?
The end result is that hamsters come in all different colors and while some are more common than others, genetics can be really interesting and frankly completely random. You may try to breed a specific color and end up with something completely common because a recessive gene is hiding in the background.
But generally, the most random colors are beige, golden brown, and anything that is a unique blend or pattern.
What Colors Can Different Types of Hamsters Be?
There are lots of different species of hamster and some come in colors that aren’t typical for others. And while we mentioned earlier that genetics and randomness play a huge role in the different colors, in the next couple sections, we’ll cover the most common types of colors for Dwarf and Syrian hamsters, which are two of the most common hamster types.
What are the Most Common Dwarf Hamster Colors?
Dwarf hamsters are a specific type of hamster that come in a narrow range of colors, mostly stemming from a grayish brown tone. This is the typical hamster color you may be thinking of when someone says they have a hamster because it’s the most common color out there for dwarf hamsters and the sub-species that make up the dwarf family.
Other common colors for dwarf hamsters include:
- Brown
- Gray
- Cream
- White Tan
- Sapphire (a dark gray)
So while you may see dwarf hamsters come in a variety of colors, the most common ones are listed above, but they aren’t limited to those colors in themselves. You may find dwarf hamsters in all different types of colors due to genetic breeding and recessive genes.
What are the Different Types of Syrian Hamster Colors?
Syrian or golden hamsters are one of the most common varieties of hamster. As the name suggest, the most common color is often golden or tan, but they can come in a plethora of different colors. The most common Syrian hamster colors are listed below:
- Black
- Golden
- Grey
- Brown
- Blonde
- Tan
- White
If you get a Syrian or golden hamster as they’re often referred to, you can expect it to come in one of those colors. Those are the most common, but not guaranteed because of the genetic randomness that we spoke of earlier.
You may see ones with patterns or a blend because of specific breeding or recessive genes that may cause slight discoloration in their fur.
Additional Reading
If you’re interested in reading more about hamster colors and behavior, check out the related articles below:
- Complete Guide to Hamster Behavior – The Pet Property
- Syrian Hamster Variations – Wikipedia
- Hamster Pet Colors – PetKeen
Conclusion
And there you have it! By reaching the end of this article, you should have a much better idea of what types of colors hamsters can be and why they were born that way. And the real answer is just randomness and genetic makeup.
Hamsters come in all different shapes, sizes, and most notably color. Some are brown, tan, gray, white, black, the rare beige, or even in different patterns or blended colors. And it’s all a result of breeding and what color the parents are.
However, there are colors that are more common than others because unless two hamsters with different colors are specifically bred, you’ll probably end up with one of the standard genetic colors.