For over a year now, I have been doing test matings with a new gene in the Campbells. The gene leaves the black color pigment in the coat but removes all yellow pigment. Thus, the hamster has a silver gray appearance much the same as the color of a normal coated chinchilla. There is no brown coloration which is so typical of the Campbells normal.
Here are the results of some recent pairings.
I also have the gray color combined with opal, argente, and blue fawn (ddpp). All of these combined colors are quite attractive and what you would expect given the nature of the gene. All are distinct from the single gene color again confirming that this is a new gene and not a variation on the normal color. Some of these combined colors are nice pastel agouti colors. I have pictures of these colors on my website at www.geocities.com/AAAHamsters
I have seen variation in the gray color. Right now I am doing some matings to look into this variation.
So far, there is no official name or symbol for this color. A number of names have been suggested including mock chinchilla, silver gray, and dark gray.
For over two years now I have been working to document another gene in the Campbells. I will give more details on that gene in the next issue.