Mengintip “Budaya” Perhamsteran di Negeri
Mbahnya Hamster
By: Andi Nursaiful
Hamster memang sudah menyebar di seluruh
dunia. Sejak ditemukan pada 1930, hewan kecil nan imut ini dipelihara orang di
berbagai belahan bumi. Namun di antara negara-negara di mana memelihara Hamster
begitu diminati, Inggris boleh disebut sebagai salah satu negara “mbahnya”
perhamsteran dunia.
Kenapa Inggris? Bukan AS atau bukan
Indonesia????
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Seorang zoologist asal Inggris, George Waterhouse, pada 1839, melaporkan
bahwa ia menemukan seekor hamster betina di Syria, dan ia menamakannya
"Cricetus auratus" atau The Golden Hamster.
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Pada 1930-an, zoologist dan professor di University of Jerusalem,
Aharoni, menemukan seekor induk hamster dan beberapa anaknya di area padang pasir
Syria. Hamster ini dibawa ke lab di Hebrew University di Yerusalem, dan di sana
berhasil diternakkan sebagai Golden Hamster. Kabarnya, yang ini lebih besar
dari hamster temuan George Waterhouse. Oleh sebab itu diberi nama
"Mesocricetus auratus", meskipoun diperkirakan bahwa keduanya adalah
spesies yang sama.
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Hamster-hamster hasil ternak di lab ini kemudian tiba di Inggris pada
1931, dan baru sampai di AS pada 1938.
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Zoologist asal Inggris Leonard Goodwin mengklaim bahwa kebanyakan
hamster yang sekarang ada di Inggris merupakan anak-cucu hamster yang ia
temukan dan dijadikan kelinci percobaan medis selama era Perang Dunia II.
-
Hamster Campbell, Winter White, dan Chinese Hamster, secara bersamaan
mulai diperjual belikan di Inggris pada era 1970. Sementara Roborovski
didatangkan dari Belanda ke di Inggris pada 1990.
Selain sejarah panjang itu, organisasi
perhamsteran yang tertua di dunia adalah National Hamster Council (NHC), yang didirikan pada 1949 dan berbasis
di Inggris, dengan afiliasi sejumlah
klub: South of England Hamster Club,
Midland Hamster Club, dan Northern Hamster Club.
Dengan demikian, maka tidak ada salahnya
kita mengintip budaya dan aturan perhamsteran yang ada di negeri itu. Di bawah ini adalah sejumlah highlights yang
dikutip dari “THE NATIONAL HAMSTER COUNCIL HANDBOOK” atau “buku pintar” yang
dijadikan pedoman bagi siapa saja yang terlibat dalam urusan perhamsteran di
negeri itu, terutama anggota NHC. Buku pintar ini merupakan fully revised
edition, Februari 2009.
Buku ini terdiri dari tiga bagian besar,
yakni The Constitution (semacam undang-undangnya perhamsteran Inggris), Show
Rules and Regulations (peraturan teknis), serta Exhibition Standards (standard
penjurian untuk kontes).
Nah, yang akan saya muat di sini adalah
bagian ketiga. Ini penting bagi kita di Indonesia untuk mengetahui hamster
“yang benar” itu sebetulnya yang seperti apa. Di bagian akhir, saya juga
mengutip “kode etik” perhamsteran Inggris yang sepertinya harus dilakukan oleh
siapa saja yang mengaku mencintai hamster.
SECTION
C: EXHIBITION STANDARDS
A. SYRIAN
ALLOCATION OF POINTS FOR ALL STANDARDS
1.
Colour and markings 30 points
2.
Type 25 points
The body shall be broad and cobby. The head
shall be large in proportion to the body with a broad skull, short face and
blunt nose.The head shall be well set into the body, the profile showing a
smooth curve from nose over head, to nape of neck.
3.
Fur 20 points
The fur shall be soft and very dense.
Special attention shall be paid to the density of the belly fur. In longhaired
hamsters, the coat shall be as long and dense as possible, but allowance must
be made for sex, i.e. males must have longer fur than females, and the females
shall not be penalised for having shorter fur. The length of fur must be taken
into account when judging all classes.
4.
Size 10 points
The hamster shall be as large as possible,
but not fat. Allowance shall be made for sex; i.e. female hamsters in general
are larger than males.
5.
Condition 10 points
The hamster shall be fit, curious when well
awake and tame to handle. The flesh shall be firm with no surplus fat. The coat
shall have a healthy sheen and the hamster shall be quite clean.
6.
Eyes and ears 5 points
The eyes shall be large, prominent and
widely set. The ears shall be large, set well apart and carried erect and
unfolded when the hamster is alert.
ABNORMALITY
PENALTY
Totally missing limb, eye, ear, foot or tail Mandatory
disqualification
Any physical deformity believed by the judge
to be hereditary
Mandatory disqualification
Suspect disease or intractability Mandatory
disqualification
Excess fat
Minus 5 points maximum
Sores, wounds, or scars
Minus 10 points maximum
Dirty show pen
Minus 10 points maximum
Fruit/vegetables - deviation from Rules Minus 2 points maximu
COLOUR
AND MARKINGS (30 points)
Agouti: Short Cobby Body, Crescents, Broad
Skull, Short Face, Ticking (where applicable), Top Coat, Cheek Flash, Chest
Band
EYE
COLOUR
The following sequence of eye colours shall
apply (in increasing order of
darkness): 1. Bright clear pink 2. Red, 3.
Claret red, 4. Claret, 5. Ruby, 6. Garnet, 7. Dark brown, 8. Black
In patterned varieties, 15 points shall be
allocated for colour and markings and 15 points for pattern.
12. Where base colour is indicated this
applies to the whole animal, excluding the
belly fur.
AGOUTI
VARIETIES
BEIGE (bbdgdg)
TOP COAT - Soft pale grey with brownish
tone, carried approximately one third of the
way down
BASE COLOUR - Slate grey
BELLY FUR - Ivory
CRESCENTS - White with base colour
TICKING - Lightly and evenly ticked with
dark beige/brown
CHEST BAND - Dark beige/brown
CHEEK FLASHES - Dark beige/brown
EYE COLOUR - Very dark brown, almost black
EAR COLOUR - Very dark beige
BLONDE
(Lglgpp)
TOP COAT - Creamy blonde carried
approximately one third of the way down
BASE COLOUR - Light grey
BELLY FUR - Ivory
CRESCENTS - Ivory
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Creamy blonde, with an orange
tint
CHEEK FLASHES - Light grey
EYE COLOUR - Claret red
EAR COLOUR - Flesh grey
NOTES - Tends to have orange tinted muzzle.
CINNAMON
(pp)
TOP COAT - Rich russet orange carried
approximately one third of the way down
BASE COLOUR - Slate blue
BELLY FUR - Creamy ivory, with a blue under
colour
CRESCENTS - Ivory
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Rich russet orange
CHEEK FLASHES - Brown
EYE COLOUR - Bright claret red
EAR COLOUR - Flesh brown
GOLDEN,
DARK ++ (Wild type agouti)
TOP COAT - Rich dark mahogany red carried
approximately one third of the way down
BASE COLOUR - Dark slate grey
BELLY FUR - Ivory, with grey under colour
CRESCENTS - Pale ivory, almost white
TICKING - Heavily and evenly ticked with
black, dorsal line and hair on scalp
intensely shaded. Face to be swarthy with
black eye rings.
CHEST BAND - Rich dark mahogany red
CHEEK FLASHES - Black
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey, almost black
GREY,
DARK (dgdg)
TOP COAT - Pearly grey carried
approximately one quarter of the way down
BASE COLOUR - Dark slate grey
BELLY FUR - Ivory, with a grey under coat
CRESCENTS - Ivory
TICKING - Heavily and evenly ticked with
black, shaded as for dark golden, i.e. face
to be swarthy with black eye rings
CHEST BAND - Very dark slate grey
CHEEK FLASHES - Black
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey, almost black
GREY,
LIGHT (Lglg)
TOP COAT - Buttermilk-grey, carried
approximately one third of the way down
BASE COLOUR - Dark slate grey
BELLY FUR - Buttermilk, with grey
base-colour
CRESCENTS - Buttermilk
TICKING - Heavily and evenly ticked with
dark grey, almost black, shaded as for dark golden
CHEST BAND - Dark brown/grey
CHEEK FLASHES - Dark grey, almost black
(concentrated ticking)
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey
GREY,
SILVER (SgSg)
TOP COAT - Light Silvery Grey
BASE COLOUR - Dark Slate Grey
BELLY FUR - Light Silvery Grey to the
roots-no ticking
CRESCENTS - Light Silvery Grey
TICKING - Heavy and evenly ticked with
Black (excluding belly fur)
CHEST BAND - Mid Grey
CHEEK FLASHES - Concentrated Black ticking
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Very dark Grey almost Black
NOTES - This gene has been found to be
extremely dominant. Caution should be
exercised when breeding these animals.
HONEY
(ppTo - male, ppToTo - female)
TOP COAT - Light cinnamon orange to the
roots
BASE COLOUR - Light cinnamon orange
BELLY FUR - Ivory, almost white
CRESCENTS - Ivory, almost white
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Light cinnamon orange
CHEEK FLASHES - Cinnamon
EYE COLOUR - Claret red
EAR COLOUR - Flesh grey
LILAC
(dgdgpp)
TOP COAT - Soft pale grey with pinkish tone
BASE COLOUR - Soft pale grey
BELLY FUR - Ivory
CRESCENTS - Ivory with a pinkish tone
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Soft pale grey with pinkish
tone
CHEEK FLASHES - Warm grey
EYE COLOUR - Claret red
EAR COLOUR - Pinkish grey
RUST
(GUINEA GOLD) (bb)
TOP COAT - Rich orange brown
BASE COLOUR - Brownish grey
BELLY FUR - Ivory, with pale grey under
colour
CRESCENTS - Ivory
TICKING - Light and even ticking of brown
CHEST BAND - Deep rust brown
CHEEK FLASHES - Deep rust brown
EYE COLOUR - Very dark brown, almost black
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey with a hint of pink
NOTES.
SMOKE PEARL (dgdgTo = male; dgdgToTo =
female)
TOP COAT - Pale greyish cream to the roots
BASE COLOUR - Pale greyish cream
BELLY FUR - Ivory, almost white
CRESCENTS - Ivory, almost white
TICKING - Heavy and even black ticking
CHEST BAND - Pale greyish cream
CHEEK FLASHES - Black - not solid but
concentrated ticking
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey, almost black
YELLOW(To = male; ToTo = female)
TOP COAT - Rich dusky yellow carried well
down
BASE COLOUR - Ivory yellow
BELLY FUR - Ivory
CRESCENTS - Ivory
TICKING - Heavy and even black ticking
overall
CHEST BAND - Rich dusky yellow
CHEEK FLASHES - Black - not solid but
concentrated ticking
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey, almost black
SELF VARIETIES
BLACK (aa)
TOP COAT - Black; white feet are
permissible, and shall not be penalised. All other
markings shall be penalised.
BASE COLOUR - Black
BELLY FUR - Black
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Black
NOTES - Genetic details; This is a
melanistic black, produced by a simple recessive
gene, and is capable of true breeding. The
genotype for this colour is "aa".
CHOCOLATE (aabb)
TOP COAT - Dark chocolate brown carried
well down
BASE COAT - Mid brown
BELLY FUR - Dark chocolate brown
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHESTBAND - Absent
CHEEKFLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Very dark greyish brown.
NOTES - The top colour should be the rich
chocolate of plain Bournville chocolate.
COPPER (UUeebbpp)
TOP COAT -Rich clear copper to the roots
BASE COLOUR - Rich clear copper
BELLY FUR - Rich clear copper
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Garnet
EAR COLOUR - Copper grey
CREAM, BLACK-EYED (ee)
TOP COAT - Deep rich cream to the roots
BASE COLOUR - Deep rich cream
BELLY FUR - Deep rich cream
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey, almost black
CREAM, RED-EYED (eepp)
TOP COAT - Deep rich pinkish cream to the
roots
BASE COLOUR - Deep rich pinkish cream
BELLY FUR - Deep rich pinkish cream
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Claret red
EAR COLOUR - Peach grey
CREAM, RUBY-EYED (eeruru)
TOP COAT - Warm pastel cream to the roots
BASE COLOUR - Warm pastel cream
BELLY FUR - Warm pastel cream
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Ruby
EAR COLOUR - Flesh
DOVE (aapp)
TOP COAT - Dove grey with a deep lilac
tone, to the roots.
BASE COLOUR - Dove grey with a deep lilac
tone.
BELLY FUR - Dove grey with a deep lilac
tone.
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Claret red
EAR COLOUR - Flesh grey
IVORY, BLACK-EYED (eeLglg or eedgdg)
TOP COAT - Pale greyish cream to the roots
BASE COLOUR - Pale greyish cream
BELLY FUR - Pale greyish cream
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey, almost black
IVORY, RED-EYED (eeLglgpp or eedgdgpp)
TOP COAT - Pale greyish cream to the roots
BASE COLOUR - Pale greyish cream
BELLY FUR - Pale greyish cream
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Garnet
EAR COLOUR - Pinkish grey
MINK (UUeepp or Uueepp)
TOP COAT - Warm mid brown with an orange
tinge. The eyes shall be ringed with
fine pinkish cream hairs.
BASE COLOUR - Deep, rich pinkish cream.
BELLY FUR - Warm mid brown with an orange
tinge.
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND -Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Claret red
EAR COLOUR - Flesh grey
SABLE (UUee)
TOP COAT - Black, carried well down. The
eyes shall be ringed with fine ivory
cream hairs.
BASE COLOUR - Ivory cream
BELLY FUR - Black
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey, almost black
NOTES. This is not a solid jet black animal
due to the presence of its undercolour.
Browning will be penalised.
WHITE, BLACK-EYED (eeDsds or eeWhwh or ???)
TOP COAT - White to the roots
BASE COLOUR - White
BELLY FUR - White
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Black
EAR COLOUR - Flesh
WHITE (ALBINO), DARK EARED (cdcd)
TOP COAT - White to the roots
BASE COLOUR - White
BELLY FUR - White
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Red
EAR COLOUR - Dark grey, almost black
NOTES - Eyes darken with age
WHITE (ALBINO), FLESH EARED (cdcdpp)
TOP COAT - White to the roots
BASE COLOUR - White
BELLY FUR - White
CRESCENTS - Absent
TICKING - Absent
CHEST BAND - Absent
CHEEK FLASHES - Absent
EYE COLOUR - Bright clear pink
EAR COLOUR - Flesh
PATTERNED VARIETIES
Care must be taken when breeding patterned
animals as some patterns contain the
anopthalmic or white bellied gene, (Wh).
DOMINANT SPOT (PIEBALD) (Dsds or ss)
1. The dominant spot shall have the
appearance of a white animal with coloured
spots. The spots shall be sharply defined
and evenly distributed over the top
surface of the animal.
2. The belly fur shall be white.
3. The white areas shall be white to the
roots.
4. The coloured spots shall conform to the
recognised corresponding full coloured
variety.
5. Eye colour: as for the full coloured
variety, also ruby/red eye or eyes
permissible.
6. Ear colour: as for the full coloured
variety, also flesh or partly flesh coloured
permissible.
WHITE BAND (BaBa or Baba)
1. The white banded animal shall have the
appearance of coloured animal with a
superimposed white band. The white band
shall completely encircle the body
and be centrally placed and not skewed. The
width shall be approximately one
third of the body length, completely
unbroken with sharply defined and parallel
margins.
2. The belly fur shall be white.
3. The white areas shall be white to the
roots.
4. The coloured areas shall conform to the
recognised full colour variety.
5. Eye colour: as for the full coloured
variety, also ruby/red eye or eyes
permissible.
6. Ear colour: as for the full coloured
variety, also flesh or partly flesh coloured
permissible.
BANDED DOMINANT SPOT (BaBaDsds or BabaDsds)
1. The Banded Dominant Spot hamster shall
have the appearance of a dominant
spot or piebald animal with a broad white
band superimposed. The white band
shall extend from the neck to the hips,
ideally 2/3 of the body length, and
contain no coloured markings. The head and
the rump shall conform to the
Dominant Spot or Piebald standard, (i.e.
give the appearance of the white
animal with coloured markings).
2. Coloured areas shall conform to the
relevant colour standard. White areas shall
be white to the roots.
3. Belly fur shall be white to the roots.
4. Eye colour shall be as for the full
coloured variety. Red or ruby eye or eyes are
also permissible.
5. Ear colour shall be as for the full
coloured variety. Mottled ears are also
permissible.
TORTOISESHELL AND WHITE (TotoBaba,
TotoBaBa, or
TotoDsds)
1. A tortoiseshell is a sex-linked
bi-coloured animal. The standard calls for a
tricoloured animal which is produced by combining
the tortoiseshell with a
white pattern gene. The coat colour shall
consist of a balanced pattern of
coloured, yellow and white patches. These
patches shall be clear and distinct
with no brindling.
2. The coloured areas shall conform to the
recognised full colour variety whilst the
yellow shall be a rich creamy yellow when
in combination with the golden, but
shall be present in a diluted form when
combined with other recognised colours.
e.g.
Main Colour Yellow
Golden
Rich apricot yellow
Dark grey
Smoke pearl
Cinnamon
Honey
3. The belly fur shall be white.
4. Eye colour: as stipulated for the full
colour variety; also red/ruby eye or eyes
permissible.
5. Ear colour: as stipulated for the full
colour variety; also flesh or partly flesh
coloured permissible.
TORTOISESHELL (Toto)
1. Overall Appearance: A tortoiseshell is a
bi-coloured animal which consists of a
balanced pattern of coloured and yellow
patches. These patches shall be clear
and distinct with no brindling.
2. The coloured areas shall conform to the
recognised full colour variety whilst the
yellow shall be a rich creamy yellow when
in combination with the golden, but
shall be present in a diluted form when
combined with other recognised colours.
e.g.
Main Colour
Yellow
Golden Rich apricot yellow
Dark grey
Smoke pearl
Cinnamon
Honey
Lilac Lilac
Pearl
Eye Colour As for the full coloured variety
Ear Colour As for
the full coloured variety
ROAN (Whwh)
1. Overall Appearance: The Roan shall have
the appearance of a white animal
ticked with colour. The ticking shall be
heavy around the head and give an
evenly marbled appearance over the
remainder of the top coat. The white areas
shall be white to the roots. The coloured
areas shall conform to the
recognised coloured variety allowing for
slight dilution.
2. The belly fur shall be marbled with
colour.
3. Eye Colour: As for the full coloured
variety also ruby or red eye or eyes
permissible.
4. Ear Colour: As for the full coloured
variety also flesh or partly flesh coloured
ears permissible.
COAT VARIETIES
LONG HAIR
1. The colour and markings shall conform to
the recognised colour standard,
allowing for the dilution effect of the
long-haired gene; this is particularly
noticeable on the ticking of agouti
varieties, but will also affect other varieties.
2. The fur shall be soft, very dense, and
evenly long over the entire top surface of
the body, excluding the face, where it
shall be shorter. Special attention shall be
paid to the density of the belly fur. The
coat shall be as long and dense as
possible, but allowance must be made for
sex, i.e. males must have longer fur
than females, and the females shall not be
penalised for having shorter fur.
NOTES This coat type may be combined with
satin and/or rex.
SATIN
1. The colour and markings shall conform to
the recognised colour standard,
allowing for the effect of the
satinisation.
2. The fur shall be soft and dense, and
have a glossy, satin sheen.
NOTES This coat type may be combined with
long hair and/or rex.
Under no circumstances should two satins be
mated together, as this will
result in "double satinisation"
and, eventually, almost naked hamsters. A
satin must only be mated with a
non-satinised variety.
REX
1. The colour and markings shall conform to
the recognised colour standard, for
diluting effect of the rex gene; this is
particularly noticeable on the ticking of
agouti varieties, but will also affect
other varieties.
2. The coat shall be soft and dense, and
evenly "frizzy".
3. The whiskers shall be curly.
NOTES This coat type may be combined with
satin and/or long hair.
RUSSIAN AND CHINESE
ALLOCATION OF POINTS FOR ALL STANDARDS
1. Colour and markings 30 points
Type 25 points
Fur 20 points
Size 10 points
Condition 10 points
Eyes and Ears 5 points
Colour to include: - Top coat, Ticking if
present, Under coat, Belly fur, Colour
of feet, Eye colour, Ear colour, Arches and
stripes. Type to include: - Head,
Body, Legs and Tail. Fur to include: -
Overall coverage of fur as per Standard.
PENALTIES FOR ALL STANDARDS
ABNORMALITY
PENALTY
Totally missing limb, eye, ear, foot or
tail
Mandatory disqualification
Any physical deformity believed
by the judge to be hereditary
Mandatory disqualification
Suspect disease or intractability
Mandatory disqualification
Excess fat
Minus 5 points
maximum
Sores, wounds, or scars
Minus 10 points maximum
Dirty show pen
Minus 10 points maximum
Fruit/vegetables - deviation from
Rules
Minus 2 points maximum
Suspected Hybrid
Mandatory disqualification
Note: Judges must be happy that the exhibit
is not just a poor quality example of that species but is actually a Hybrid.
RUSSIAN CAMPBELL
TYPE (25 points) - The body should be broad
and cobby. The head shall be in
proportion to the body with a broad skull,
short face and blunt nose. The head
shall be well set into the body. The legs
and tail should be scarcely visible. The
eyes and ears should be set well apart.
FUR (20 points) - The fur should be soft,
short and very dense giving a woolly
impression. This also applies to the soles
of the feet. The inside of the ears
should be a little hairy.
SIZE (10 points) - Adult range 10-12 cms.
CONDITION (10 points) - The hamster should
be fit, curious when awake and
tame to handle. The flesh should be well
toned with no surplus fat. The coat
shall have a healthy sheen and be clean.
EYES AND EARS (5 points) - The size of eyes
and ears should be in
proportion to the animal. The eyes should
be rounded and not bulge. The ears
should be erect, rounded and visible above
the fur.
COLOUR (30 points) - Where base colour is
indicated this applies to the whole animal, excluding the belly fur.
ALBINO
TOP COAT - White
BASE COLOUR - White
BELLY FUR - White
FEET - White
EYES - Bright clear pink
EARS - Flesh
ARCHES - None
SPINAL STRIPE - None
NOTES - Dirty or stained fur to be heavily
penalized
ARGENTE
TOP COAT - Light cinnamon carried approx.
1/3 down
BASE COLOUR - Smoky grey
BELLY FUR - Creamy white with smoky grey
FEET - Creamy white undercolour
EYES - Red
EARS - Pale flesh
ARCHES - There are three prominently marked
arches between the belly and top colour
SPINAL STRIPE - An even smoky grey stripe
full length from between the eyes to the
base of the tail
BLACK (aa)
TOP COAT - Jet black to the roots.
BASE COLOUR - Jet black.
BELLY FUR - Jet black.
FEET - Black.
EYES - Black.
EARS - Black.
ARCHES - None.
SPINAL STRIPE - None.
NOTES - Silvering, and white patches will
be heavily penalised.
DOVE (aapp)
TOP COAT - Warm mid brown to the roots.
BASE COLOUR - Warm mid brown.
BELLY FUR - Warm mid brown.
FEET - Warm mid brown
EYES - Claret red.
EARS - Flesh.
ARCHES - None.
SPINAL STRIPE - None.
NOTES - Silvering, and white patches will
be heavily penalised.
NORMAL
TOP COAT - The tip of the hair should be
ticked dark brown giving an overall
appearance of buffish brown, with cream
carried approx. 1/3 down
BASE COLOUR - Very dark slate grey
BELLY FUR - Off white with slate grey
undercoat
FEET - Off white
EYES - Black
EARS - Grey brown
ARCHES - There are three prominently marked
arches between the belly and the top
colour. Between the buffish brown and off
white there is a line of pale amber
SPINAL STRIPE - An even black stripe full
length from between the eyes to the base
of the tail
RUSSIAN WINTER WHITE
TYPE (25 points) - The overall build should
be oval in shape. The head should
be broad and set well into the body. The
head should be softly curved and the
forehead slightly domed (Roman nose). The
legs and tail should be scarcely
visible. The eyes and ears should be set
well apart.
FUR (20 points) - The fur should be soft,
short and very dense. This also
applies to the soles of the feet. The
inside of the ears should be a little hairy.
SIZE (10 points) - Adult range 8-10 cms.
CONDITION (10 points) - The hamster should
be fit, curious when awake and
tame to handle. The flesh should be well
toned with no surplus fat. The coat
shall have a healthy sheen and be clean.
EYES AND EARS (5 points) - The size of eyes
and ears should be in
proportion to the animal. The eyes should
be rounded and not bulge. The ears should be erect, rounded and visible above
the fur.
COLOUR (30 points) - Where base colour is
indicated this applies to the whole animal, excluding the belly fur.
NORMAL
TOP COAT - Dark brown carried approx. 1/3
down with heavy black ticking giving an
overall impression of greyish brown
BASE COLOUR - Dark slate blue
BELLY FUR - White with blue tinged
undercolour
FEET - White
EYES - Black
EARS - Grey with darker edging
ARCHES - There are three prominently marked
arches between the belly and the top
colour. The white of the arches is lightly
and evenly ticked with black
SPINAL STRIPE - An even black stripe full
length from between the eyes to the base of the tail
PEARL
TOP COAT & BASE COLOUR - The pearl
should have the appearance of a white
animal lightly and evenly ticked with
colour. There shall be a slight shading of the
dorsal stripe, full length from between the
eyes to the base of the tail. The colour should
correspond to the recognised colour
variety.
BELLY FUR - White
EYES - As for full coloured variety
EARS - As for full coloured variety
NOTES - Dirty or stained fur should be
heavily penalized
SAPPHIRE
TOP COAT - Smoky grey with a blue tinge
BASE COLOUR - Steel blue
BELLY FUR - Off white with blue tinged base
colour
FEET - Off white
EYES - Black
EARS - Pastel grey with small area of off
white behind the ears
ARCHES - There are three prominently marked
arches between the belly and the top
colour. The off white of the arches should
be lightly and evenly ticked with smoky grey
SPINAL STRIPE - An even steel blue stripe
full length from between the eyes to the base of the tail
FOOTNOTE FOR THE WINTER WHITE - The
standards for Winter Whites are for their full summer coats. Any sign of winter
moult will be heavily penalized.
ROBOROVSKI
TYPE (25 points) - The body shall be broad
and cobby, carried low and
sturdily on short legs. The head shall be
well set into the body, with no perceptible
neck. The skull shall be broad with a short
face and wide muzzle. The eyes and ears
shall be set well apart.
FUR (20 points) - The fur shall be soft,
smooth and very dense. This also
applies to the soles of the feet.
SIZE (10 points) - Adult range, 6 to 8 cms
long.
CONDITION (10 points) - The hamster shall
be fit, curious when awake and
tame to handle. The body shall be well
fleshed but with no surplus fat. The coat shall
have a healthy sheen and be clean.
EYES AND EARS (5 points) - The eyes shall
be large and prominent, rounded
but not bulging. The ears shall be rounded,
carried erect when the animal is alert, and
clearly visible above the fur.
COLOUR (30 points) - Where base colour is
indicated, this applies to the
whole animal, excluding the belly fur.
NORMAL
TOP COAT - Sandy brown carried 1/3 down.
Very lightly and evenly ticked with dark brown.
BASE COLOUR - Slate Grey
BELLY FUR - White
FEET - White
EYES - Black
EARS - Flesh
MARKINGS - Arches and spinal stripe are
absent. The boundary between top colour
and belly fur shall be a straight, even and
sharply defined line along the animals flanks
and over the tail root. The “eyebrow”
markings and the whisker beds shall be pure
white and clearly defined.
NOTES - “Open” coat, showing under colour,
to be heavily penalised.
FOOTNOTE FOR THE ROBOROVSKI - Due to the
small size of this species,
Roborovski’s Hamsters shall be exhibited in
Syrian Show Pens.
PATTERNED VARIETIES
Care must be taken when breeding patterned
animals as some patterns contain the
anopthalmic or white bellied gene, (Wh).
MOTTLED (RUSSIAN CAMPBELL)
TOP COAT - The entire top surface of the
hamster shall be covered by distinct patches
of coloured and white fur, giving the
effect of a white animal with coloured patches.
The patches shall be clear and distinct
with no brindling of coloured or white hairs.
BASE COLOUR - As for standard colour. White
patches to be white to the roots.
EYES - As for standard colour. Red or ruby
eye or eyes also acceptable.
EARS - As for the standard colour. Mottled
ears are also permissible.
ARCHES - Where coloured patches extend down
the flanks, the coloured patches shall conform to the expectation of the
relevant standard.
SPINAL STRIPE - Where coloured patches
extend over the spine, the coloured
patches shall conform to the expectation of
the relevant standard.
NOTES - There is evidence that certain
individuals of this colour carry the
anopthalmic, (eyeless), gene. This produces
eyeless, toothless white pups when
inherited from both parents. When breeding,
care should be taken to avoid pairings
likely to produce such young.
COAT TYPES
SATIN COAT
1. The colour and markings shall conform to
the recognised colour standard,
allowing for the effect of the
satinisation.
2. The fur shall be soft and dense, and
have a glossy, satin sheen.
Appendix
NHC
RECOGNISED NATURAL MUTATIONS
CHINESE HAMSTER : Dominant Spot
CAMPBELL'S RUSSIAN HAMSTER: Albino,
Argenté, Black Eyed Argenté, Mottled, Black, Opal, Satin, Rex, Umbrous,
Platinum
WINTER WHITE RUSSIAN HAMSTER: Sapphire,
Marbled, Pearl
ROBOROVSKI RUSSIAN HAMSTER: Husky
SYRIAN HAMSTER: Banded, Piebald, Dominant
Spot, Umbrous, Rex, Longhair, Satin, Black, Cream, Cinnamon, Dark Eared White,
Anopthalmic White, Rust/ Guinea Gold, Yellow, Dark
Grey, Silver Grey, Light Grey
Appendix
NHC CODE OF PRACTICE
The NHC promotes a high standard of hamster
care & welfare. Therefore membership of an NHC affiliated club means you
automatically agree to follow your clubs' rules & those of the
Constitution.
In addition, you also agree to follow the
separate NHC Codes of Practice. The NHC expects ALL its members to keep their
hamsters in suitable housing, with some type of enrichment. There are no
exceptions. Failure to adhere to any of these could mean expulsion from your
club.
Housing
The hamster must be housed in a secure
enclosure. The hamster must be unable to escape and be protected from potential
predators. The enclosure must be sited away from draughts and heat sources,
(including direct sunlight), in an environment where the temperature remains
relatively constant. The environment must be frost proof and temperatures
should not rise above 25oC.
To prevent fighting, each mature Syrian
hamster must be caged singly, (except for a female housed with the un-weaned
pups that she is suckling). Other hamster species may be housed in compatible
groups of their own species. The design of the cage must be suitable and safe
for hamsters. Particular care must be taken to ensure that the hamster is
unable to fall from a height or become trapped in small spaces.
The NHC recommends a minimum of 1000cm2
(useable floor space) x 19cmH for Syrian hamsters and 750cm2 (useable floor
space) x 17cmH for Dwarfs. The enclosure must be large enough to allow the
hamster to exercise and to establish separate toilet, feeding, food storage and
nesting areas. Environmental enrichment, (e.g. wheels, boxes and tubes of
suitable size), should be supplied to encourage activity.
For reasons of hygiene, and to encourage
natural burrowing behaviour, the floor of the enclosure must be covered in a
layer of a suitable absorbent substrate. Sufficient safe bedding material must
be supplied to enable the hamster to build a nest adequate for the ambient
temperature conditions.
Feeding
The basis of the hamster’s diet must be a
balanced hamster mix, containing hard foods suitable for keeping teeth in trim.
The amount required per day will vary with the hamster’s species; an egg cupful
is adequate for an adult Syrian hamster.
Some vegetables and fruits, (not citrus
fruits or onion but see full list on NHC website), can be given in small
quantities, 2-3 times a week and all uneaten fresh food removed frequently (or
regularly). It must be well washed before feeding to remove dirt and
pesticides.
To prevent impaction of the cheek pouches,
foodstuffs that are sticky or that melt must not be given. Fresh, clean
drinking water must be available in the enclosure at all times.
Handling
Handling should, ideally, take place in the
late afternoon or evening, when the hamster is naturally awake and alert.
Hamsters should never be handled more than a few inches above a surface or the
floor, in case of falls.
To remove food odours, (with consequent
risks of nipping), hands should be washed before handling hamsters. As with any
animal, hands must be washed after handling hamsters, for reasons of hygiene.
When taming a hamster, handling “little and
often” is recommended, to help the hamster learn the owner’s scent and voice.
Health
Bedding and cage litter must be changed at
intervals sufficiently frequent to maintain a hygienic environment. Where
possible, it is recommended that the interval between cleanings should be at
least a week, since cleaning disrupts the animals’ natural scent marking and
hoarding behaviours, which may cause psychological stress. All cages and
equipment must be cleaned regularly, preferably with an animal safe
disinfectant.
At all events, provision will be made to
minimise risk of transfer of pathogens between hamsters and between hamsters
and humans. This may be by barrier methods or by the use of animal safe
disinfectants or cleansers.
Hamsters must be checked at regular
intervals for signs of illness or disease. If and when these symptoms are
found, prompt action must be taken to alleviate the source of the problem,
seeking veterinary attention where necessary.
Breeding
Exhibitors should not breed hamsters,
except for show purposes or for the continuation
of a bloodline. Stock used for breeding
must be healthy and of good temperament. The individuals should have no known
genetically inherited illnesses or disease in their ancestry.
Pairings believed likely to result in pups
with birth defects must be avoided. Syrian females must be given a recovery
period of at least six weeks after weaning a litter and should not rear more
than three litters in their lifetime.
The hybridisation of any species of hamster
is strongly discouraged by the National Hamster Council.
Careful thought must be given before
breeding as to provision of suitable homes for any
surplus youngsters. Syrian hamster females
should be aged between four and eight months when mated for the first time.
Records must be kept of all hamsters kept
by an exhibitor. Each record should contain, as a baseline; species, age, sex,
colour, parentage and history, (breeding and medical)
Re-homing
Only regular exhibitors who are members of
an appropriate club may re-home animals at shows and other events organised by
that club.
All hamsters re-homed must be accompanied
by details of ancestry, a description, (species, age, sex, and colour), care information
and breeder’s contact details.
Hamsters re-homed must be healthy and fully
weaned. They must be no younger than five weeks of age and no older than ten
months.
Exhibition and transport
No hamster may be transported, exhibited or
otherwise confined in any container that does not allow the animal to stretch
out at full length, turn around or sit upright on its haunches.
The travelling or exhibition container must
be sufficiently well ventilated for the animals’ needs. There must always be
provision for air circulation around the air vents, whether the container is in
transit or at an event venue.
Suitable quantities of hard food and
moisture supplying fruit or vegetable must always be available to hamsters in
transport or exhibition pens.
Any animal believed by any Official
exhibiting signs of illness, injury or disease must be returned to the owner as
soon as practicable. The owner will be encouraged to seek advice, including
veterinary attention if necessary.
Club Officials and owners will monitor
ambient conditions, (temperature, noise, etc) at all venues, and take such
action as may be needed to keep them at an appropriate level.
During travel, this responsibility falls to
the person transporting the animal(s). Any handling of hamsters at events will
be by persons recognised by the club as competent to do so, or under the direct
supervision of such a person.
RE-HOMING –CODE OF PRACTICE
1. Hamsters may not be re-homed at any NHC
event, (or those organised by NHC affiliated clubs), to any individual under
the age of 16 years old.
2. Hamsters for re-homing must be fully
weaned, not less than 5 weeks old and a
maximum of 10 months old. The document
accompanying each hamster must indicate
it’s actual or approximate date of birth.
3. The vendor must check that each hamster
they offer for re-homing is in good
health and correctly sexed. The Sales
Manager or designated representative must ensure
that all hamsters for re-homing are in good
health and correctly sexed.
4. Each cage or container must hold
hamsters of the same species. Males and
females must be in separate cages or
containers, (with the exception of breeding pairs
of Dwarfs.)
5. The cage or container on the Sales Table
should be of a size appropriate to the
number of hamsters it contains. The
hamsters must be able to stand in a normal
position, lie down at full length and turn
around.
6. The cage or container on the Sales Table
must contain appropriate absorbent
substrate plus dry food. A piece of fruit
or vegetable must be provided for moisture in
the absence of a water bottle
7. For each hamster for re-homing, the
vendor must supply a secure, ventilated
container, marked with the vendor’s name or
initials and be of a size suitable for the
hamster to stand up, lie down at full length
and turn around. It must contain appropriate
absorbent substrate, dry food and a piece
of fruit or vegetable to provide moisture.
8. Each hamster for re-homing must be
accompanied by a document showing the
vendor’s name and contact information, and the
hamster’s details; species, sex and
description. The document must also include
details for the hamster’s parents and
grandparents, (where known). A Hamster
Sales Record Sheet must also accompany
each hamster and be completed with details
of the new owner.
9. The NHC “Caring for your hamster”
leaflet MUST be given to the new owner
of each hamster re-homed.
10. Vendors may only offer for sale,
hamsters that, to the best of their knowledge,
(a.) show only the natural colour for the
species or mutation(s) listed in Appendix C.
(b.) do not have any other species of
hamster in their background
(c.) have no hamsters in their ancestry
that do not meet criteria (a) and (b).
Hamsters not meeting these criteria may be
re-homed for welfare reasons but must be
clearly labelled as “unsuitable for
breeding or exhibition” and, (where possible),
segregated from other hamsters on the Sales
Table.
11. The condition of hamsters for
re-homing, (including their environment), must
be monitored throughout the day by the
Sales Manager or other designated person. This
person must ensure that suitable measures
are taken to protect the welfare of these
hamsters throughout the event. The Sales
Manager has the right to refuse any hamsters/items for sale at his/her
discretion.
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