Winter White Hamster Colours and Coat Types
Dwarf Winter White hamsters standard colour is a dark grey with a black dorsal strip alone the centre of the back and a white belly. In winter however the fur can turn various measures of white; this change is triggered by the need in the winter to change in order to blend in with their natural surroundings.
Selective breeding has resulted in three additional coat colours, Sapphire (smokey grey top coat with blueish tinge. Grey ears and black eyes.), Pearl (pure white coat, black guard hairs and black eyes). Crossing these two gives the Sapphire Pearl variant. These colour mutations do not change coat colour in winter as the original does.
Although additional colourations such as Mandarin, Orange, Brown & Mushroom may be seen it is believed that these are hybrids and not pure Winter Whites.