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About Roborovskis | Genetics
• History and habitat • Behavior • Appearance• Genetics
Genetics
  Roborovskis have 34 chromosomes.
The Roborovski hamsters do not seem to have any genetic predisposition to disease although they seem to suffer from "inbreeding depression". This means that when when colonies are left to breed for several generations the offspring appear to be less fertile and start mating at a later age.
When breeding Roborovskis it is best to refresh the bloodline regularly by introducing unrelated partners. That way you prevent possible side effects of inbreeding.
 

   
   
   
   
 
 
Taxonomy
  ORDER: Rodentia
FAMILY: Cricetidae
GENUS: Phodopus
SPECIE: Roborovskii
All animals are subdivided in different orders (type of animal) In the case of the hamster this is the order: Rodentia. (Rodents) The rodents are subdivided in different families. The hamster belongs to the family: Cricetidae. The different hamster families are subdivided again in differend genera. The genus is a grouping in the classification of living organisms having one or more related and morphologically similar species.
The genus the Roborovski belongs to, along with the Campbell and the Russian Winter White dwarf hamsters is the genus: Phodopus. And last the specie is: Roborovskii.
The genus and the specie name form the scientific name for the animal, so the full scientific name for the Roborovski hamster is the Phodopus Roborovskii.
Other names this animal is also known by is Desert Hamster.
 
Spinning
  Some bloodlines seem to produce individuals with a "spin", though it is still quite uncommon. These individuals have moderate to severe problems with their balance. Although mild cases are able to cope with their affliction, it is not advisable to keep breeding with those bloodlines as it is not known if the condition can pop up later in the line in worse form.
An example of how serious this affliction can be, can be seen on a movie I found on eBay a long while ago (left), the other movie was send in by Lijuan (right) >>
 
 
Movies of spinning defect in Roborovski:
Also the spinning defect seems to occur more frequently in the White Face Roborovskis. It is not known if the spinning defect is somehow linked to color or if this is a side effect of increased inbreeding.
   
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