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Golden is the original agouti colour of the Syrian Hamster and the Syrian Hamster is sometimes referred to as the 'Golden Hamster' from its original wild golden colouring.

The coat of the Golden Syrian Hamster is brown over the back and sides and can range from golden-brown to a rich mahogany brown. The roots of the hairs are dark grey and these dark roots are often easily visible on the top of the head which may look like it has a darker patch. The fur on the belly is ivory in colour but slightly grey at the roots and the brown colouring of the back extends in a line across the chest. Along the side of each cheek there is a black "cheekflash" which extends from under the chin up towards the ears and the ivory belly colour extends upwards below the cheekflash. The eyes are black and the ears are dark grey.

The Golden can be combined with any coat type, and pattern to produce varieties such as Long Haired Golden, Golden Banded, Golden Dominant Spot Satin, etc.

There are generally two shades of Golden recognised for showing, Light Golden and Dark Golden although some hamster clubs recognise a third mid shade. Generally the Dark Golden hamster is the preferred shade on the showing bench, although the Light or Mid Golden hamsters are the ones most often seen in pet shops.

As with most colour mutations breeding pure lines ensures the best colouring for the show bench. Black in particular carried by Golden can affect the colouring, dulling the mahogany brown and giving a blacker look around the eyes.

Agouti Colour Mutations  »