Albino hamsters are one of the rarest kinds of hamsters you’ll find on the market today, with only 1 in every 5,000 baby hamsters born being an albino variety.
Their unique appearance and gentle nature make them sought-after pets among children and adults. Still, special considerations come along with owning an albino hamster, especially regarding its diet.
Albino hamsters are also sensitive to light and dry skin, but they live just as long as their pigmented counterparts, thanks to good nutrition and plenty of love.
Albino hamsters have been bred in captivity since the 1950s and are best suited to homes with older children due to their delicate eyesight. Learn more about this unique creature here.
History of the Albino Hamster
The Albino hamster is a rare, beautiful rodent that was first discovered in the 1950s. Albino hamsters are born without pigmentation (which gives them their name) but can be bred with other albino hamsters to produce albino babies. They come in many colors besides white, including black, brown, gray, tan, pink, and red.
They are not an official breed of hamster, but they are still very popular with those who own them because of their rarity.
They require more care than regular hamsters because of their light sensitivity, including wearing sunglasses outside or putting on blankets at night.
It is illegal to trade or sell these animals across state lines, so pet owners must research where they buy from before purchasing one.
People with albinism usually live two years longer than regular hamsters do. In addition, they can’t survive temperatures above 75 degrees Fahrenheit; therefore, if you live in a hot climate, it may not be possible to keep your Albino happy.
Finally, there’s the fact that albinism isn’t contagious among other hamsters; if you have several hamsters and want some with this genetic trait, then you’ll have to start breeding them yourselves.
Characteristics of Albino Hamsters
Albino hamsters are surprisingly common, but due to their genetic condition, they’re often passed up for other varieties.
Not only is it interesting to have an Albino hamster in your home, but they also come with unique characteristics that may make them more special than you think.
For example, albino hamsters have a reduced amount of melanin (the pigment that gives skin its color), so they don’t need the same light as other hamsters.
They can even be sensitive to sunlight! This means you’ll want to make sure you provide them with plenty of dark places where they can relax and sleep during the day.
One problem with having albino hamsters is that they’re not always able to adequately produce vitamin D3, which can lead to health problems.
To counteract this issue, some owners supplement the diet of their albino hamsters by giving them food with added vitamin D3 or providing UVB lights for sunbathing sessions.
Appearance
Despite their unusual color, albino hamsters have an appearance that is typical of their species. They are smaller than other hamsters and have a soft white coat ranging from a near-white cream to a near-pinkish shade. Their eyes are pink or red but still proportionate to the size of their head.
Albino hamsters also have pink noses with black whiskers (sometimes brown) but no fur on the backs of their paws.
Albino hamsters are typically lively creatures who enjoy exploring, playing games like fetch, and interacting with humans.
They may require more handling due to their sensitivity to light, but this generally does not impair their health.
Even so, some albino hamsters will become shy if handled frequently and need to be handled for short periods only when necessary.
However, it is best to let them explore independently for most of the day rather than confining them in a cage.
Albino hamsters should be kept from drafts as cold temperatures can result in respiratory problems such as pneumonia.
Temperament
Albino hamsters are a unique breed of hamster. They are born with a genetic mutation that causes their fur to be white or, in some cases, yellow. Albino hamsters often have pink eyes, but this is only sometimes the case.
This trait is called albinism and can also occur in other animals, such as cattle, horses, cats, fish, birds, and reptiles.
The temperament of an Albino hamster varies depending on the individual animal. They may be more skittish than other breeds due to being easily startled by sudden movements or loud noises.
However, they will become friends once they grow accustomed to new surroundings. Males are typically more excellent than females, but males and females will still enjoy interacting with humans if they feel comfortable around them.
Some owners say that albino hamsters seem less likely to bite when compared to brown-colored Syrian hamsters.
Size
The albino hamster is not a hamster breed butariation. Albino hamsters are white with red eyes, giving them an almost otherworldly appearance.
Albino hamsters are very rare and difficult to come by because for a hamster to be born a person with albinism, both parents must have the recessive gene for this color variation.
The downside to Albino’s rarity is that people often buy them without researching what type of care they require.
This can lead to owners abandoning their pet when it becomes sick or dies shortly after purchase due to improper care.
For example, many albino hamsters do not respond well to handling because they have been bred as pets instead of lab animals.
Needs
The albino hamster is not just any old hamster. This rodent’s genetic mutation makes it completely white, with pink eyes.
Albino hamsters are extremely rare, with less than 1% of the population being born with this condition. Due to their scarcity, they are sometimes called white gods by other hamsters in the wild.
It’s common to go years without seeing one in the wild. The albino hamster is a beautiful creature often sought after as a pet due to its rarity and unique coloration.
Unlike other hamsters, it does not need an enormous cage or wheel because it has no camouflage advantages against predators like regular hamsters.
They also can’t survive on a diet of sunflower seeds and apples, so they must be fed things like yogurt, cereal grains, and fresh fruits. The Albino hamster can live up to 4 years if well cared for.
Feeding of Albino Hamsters
Feeding Albino hamsters are very similar to feeding an ordinary hamster. They eat the same foods in the exact quantities; however, they should be provided a little more often than a normal hamster.
Feeding your Albino hamsters daily instead of every other day will help ensure that their fur is not stained with urine.
Just make sure to wash off any food residue after each meal. Additionally, it is a good idea to feed your Albino hamsters treats once or twice weekly. Some people use raisins, sunflower seeds, peanuts, or small apple pieces as treats.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you are giving your Albino hamster something fatty like peanut butter (which also has a high-calorie content), you need to reduce the number of pellets you provide by 50%. If you do not have an accurate scale, one tablespoon of peanut butter equals one ounce.
Health
Albino hamsters are rare and more prone to illness than other breeds of hamsters. This is because their lack of pigmentation makes them more sensitive to sunlight and other forms of light. They also cannot produce enough Vitamin D, leading to bone diseases like rickets.
Albino hamsters do not survive well in captivity, so it is best to let them live in the wild, where they can thrive.
If you want to keep one, make sure you house them away from any light sources for a healthy and happy albino hamster. Allowing these beautiful creatures to experience life free in the wilderness is better.
Average Lifespan
The average lifespan for an Albino hamster is about 3-4 years. These little creatures are not often seen, but you’ll never forget their beauty once you get a glimpse of them.
Albino hamsters are rare due to their genetic mutation that causes their lack of pigmentation in the skin, eyes, or hair.
In addition to their lack of pigment, they also have a higher risk for eye problems such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal detachment.
Despite these health concerns, Albino hamsters make wonderful pets because they are social creatures that enjoy human contact. They are friendly with other animals, making them great company for rodents or furry friends!
Albino hamsters enjoy running on exercise wheels and climbing up tubes. Their cage should include hiding places, so they can sleep during the day and feel safe resting.
Habitats and Ecosystem
The habitat of an Albino hamster is rather challenging to determine. Albino hamsters are the result of genetics, and due to this, they cannot be found in their natural habitat.
Their lack of pigmentation makes them susceptible to skin cancer, so people often house them in aquariums or tanks with glass.
This housing is safer for the Albino hamsters and provides a better view for their owners. An Albino hamster’s ecosystem would encompass anything in its path that could pose a danger to it, such as predators, other animals, or any other hazards that would put it at risk outside its home.
There are many ecosystems where an Albino hamster might find itself if it were ever to escape from its enclosure, including arid deserts and savannas, forests, grasslands, tundra regions, mountainsides, wetlands, and seashores.
A lot of work has been done to try and find an albino hamster’s original habitat, but there still needs to be a clear answer.
Researchers have attempted to study the various habitats suggested by experts over the years, searching for evidence of these rodents among abandoned burrows and sandy hillsides.
They have also tried identifying areas inhabited by spiders, which may serve as a good indicator because they are preyed upon by most species of mammals; however, more needs to be confirmed so far.
Reproduction
There are two ways that albino hamsters reproduce. First, female albino hamsters can store sperm from male albino hamsters in their reproductive tract for up to a year until they’re ready to ovulate. When they do, the stored sperm is released simultaneously as an egg.
This means the fertilized eggs will have both sets of genes from the mother and father. Second, albino hamsters can mate with each other and produce a litter of people with albinism.
This happens because both parents carry recessive genes for the gene that creates white fur coloration, which makes an Albino hamster different from its counterparts.
If you breed an Albino hamster with another person with albinism, there’s a 50/50 chance that your offspring will also be an albino.
But if you generate them together again (or if one parent carries the gene), it’ll create offspring that have one copy of the recessive trait and may not be able to produce offspring on their own because they don’t carry copies of those genes themselves.
Conclusion
A hamster is an adorable pet, but only a few people know the different varieties of hamsters. One type that you may have seen but have yet to realize is the Albino hamster. These little guys are rare because they only occur in one out of every thousand births.
Albino hamsters are so fragile that they cannot be handled, so they need to live in a cage with a mesh bottom where they can be given food without being disturbed by humans.
They can’t go outside in the sun due to their sensitive eyes, so they need a dark enclosure that mimics their natural environment. It also needs soft surfaces like paper towels or cloth instead of hardwood floors or carpeting.
Albino hamsters are white all over, even on their ears, which helps protect them from harsh light. When they’re born, they have darker patches on the skin which eventually fade as they age. They also develop red eyes when they’re young before turning blue or brown in adulthood.
Albino hamsters are similar to other hamsters but have different needs that must be met to keep them healthy. You can learn more about caring for albino hamsters by contacting your local animal shelter or pet supply store.
