102 replies to this topic

[Poofthecat]

This is great info for new hamster owners that call them selves 'breeders of many species' and breed a bunch of cross-breeds when you shouldn't be breeding at all.

[JolieJohnston]

I'm actually wondering why someone would cross breed them, it's just common sense. There's some strange people out there.

[Poofthecat]

I'm actually wondering why someone would cross breed them, it's just common sense. There's some strange people out there.

People usually think that they are making a 'new' more 'expensive' and 'rare' breed, so they usually give it a weird name and sell them overpriced. I work at a great pet store (I am improving the 2 pet stores in my town right now) and we ordered four purebred winter whites, they were $30 each, but no one wanted them so they changed it to $5-$15.

[BCPets]

A-MAZING information! Nice job, SP!

[nebit]

I feel the need to make a slight correction- in some species of animal, hybrids DO occur in the wild. Hybird birds for instance aren't to uncommon, various species of ducks can and do interbreed for instance. Some species of warblers do it often enough that there are even names for their hybirds. Some species of fish do it, such as the "Townsends Angelfish" which is a natural hybrid between a blue and a queen angel.

 

It even happens in mammals although some what more rarely. Think of the polar bear grizzly crosses for instance. And false pilot whale/bottle nose dolphin hybrids are said to occur in the wild as well. And Red Wolves are endangered in a large part because they will readily breed with coyotes to produce fertile offspring, leaving even fewer red wolves left.

 

And I just read that black tip reef sharks are hyrbidizing in Australia and this seems to be an adaptive advantage, as the hybrids can better tolerate the rising ocean temperatures.

 

And while many hybrids have challenges breeding, they are often not all sterile, allowing some gene flow between species.

[Inactive]

i agree tori! crossbreeding is the worst! hopefully people will do it way less cause that means less hammys will have tragic problems...well thanks for all the information!

[Sapphire64113]

So thts why. People should never crossbreds I was thinking about it too!

[FuzzyPolkaDot]

This is amazing SP! Excellent point! 

[Mochammi]

I know, crossbreeding is bad, but I got my hamster from someone who didn't want the poor thing and she's a WW/RC cross, yet so many die young. She is really healthy though! I got her at a year and a half, and had her for a month now. And they didn't really do any research, just went and bought her. Now don't get me wrong, they are great people.

I guess my baby is one of the lucky ones.

[MyHamsterCookie]

Great topic SP!

[Sugar♥Cookie]

Just wondering: Say that someone cross-bred their winter whites and syrians, would it possibly end up where there would be winter white ans syrian brothers an sisters instead of coming together to be a mix of two types? Im a little confused. Also, if someone cross-bred their hamsters, would their babies naturally cross-breed? Would they not be able to have babies because that would be a mix of 3 different hamsters?! Im really confused. Im not good in this topic.

[Ping]

Just wondering: Say that someone cross-bred their winter whites and syrians, would it possibly end up where there would be winter white ans syrian brothers an sisters instead of coming together to be a mix of two types? Im a little confused. Also, if someone cross-bred their hamsters, would their babies naturally cross-breed? Would they not be able to have babies because that would be a mix of 3 different hamsters?! Im really confused. Im not good in this topic.

 

 

You CANNOT cross-breed Winter Whites and Syrians. I don't mean "should not", I mean physically CANNOT. They're not the same species, and they're not even that close. Imagine a human trying to mate with a cat - they're that different. It just wouldn't work. We call all of these pets under the collective name "hamsters" but they're not actually genetically that similar, which means that it is impossible to cross-breed them. Different breeds of dogs can mate, but that's because all dogs are the same species. Hamster's aren't. The only species that ARE close enough, genetically, are Winter Whites and Campbells, and you do find hybrids of these two species (in fact, most Russian dwarfs you see in pet shops are probably hybrids to some degree or another of these two).

 

Hope this answers your question!

Edited by Ping, 14 August 2013 - 11:11 PM.

[Pokeyyy]

this is really helpful SP

Edited by Poke Hamster, 15 August 2013 - 08:24 AM.

[amandaolivia]

SOMEONE CLICK ON MY PROFILE HELPPPP MY SISTERS MATED MY HAMSTERS JUST PLEASE LOOK AT THE ONLY TOPIC I POSTED OR SEARCH "My sisters mate my HAMSTERS"

[AnimeHammie]

Thank you for posting Tori