Rex hamsters?

[Chaos]

Does anyone know if rex hamsters exist? I've never seen or heard of one. I know satin and hairlesses exist, but not sure about rexes.

[Cammiehammie]

They do exist here in the states, and are easier to get in Europe. The Chesepeke Hamstery in Maryland is currently breeding them. I am hoping to get one.

[Cammiehammie]

lol Chesapeake- i misspelled it. I am unsure of Canada, I am sure they have them, but where I will try to find out for you.

[J mouse]

What is a rex hamster? Is it like T-rex?

[Cammiehammie]

Probably the most consistent trait of the Rex gene is to cause curled, crimped, or wavy whiskers. Ideally this gene also causes a curled or wavy coat. It will appear more tightly curled, frizzy, and plush in shorthaired hamsters. Long haired Rex will have a wavy and more lifted coat but may also appear somewhat scruffy (particularly males with good coat length). They can be combined with any color, marking or coat type.
Long Haired Rex males who have proper length to their coats are a different story all together. Their hair is more wavy than curly and can often be scruffy or unkempt looking. You can see their curl best on their heads, and of course in their whiskers.

Keeping a Long Haired male Rex's coat in show condition can be quite a challenge. Not only does that beautiful long coat tangle, but the wave provided by the Rex gene causes the coat to wrap around bits of bedding which have rough edges. In the United States we have discovered that nicely coated males kept on typical aspen shavings lose considerable density due to their coat catching on their bedding and being pulled out. The Care Fresh products proved to be as much if not more of a problem. In the end pelleted aspen seems to be an ideal choice for retaining coat, but not very comfortable for the animal. Alpha-dri, a paper laboratory product, stands out as a very good compromise. Being cut in small square bits it has no rough edges to catch in the coat, but is soft enough to provide for the hamsters comfort. It is rather expensive however. Naturally in a non-showing pet situation the coat can just be neatly trimmed to eliminate this whole problem all together.

Rex can also be combined with Satin and appears to be very pretty. In a variety which already has density issues, however, Satin should be added to the equation with caution since it tends to cause the appearance of a thinner coat.

Rex can also be combined with any color or pattern. It is not unusual for the color to appear diluted in a Rex coat. Self colored animals will show this dilution less than those who are agouti, and in agouti animals it can be expected that the tipping on the hair will be noticeably affected. This is noted in the standard and the judge will take it into account when judging. This is not to say that one should not strive for ideal undiluted color however.

Because it causes a change in the lay of the coat, Rex will effect the appearance of markings. It can disrupt and blur even lines, and cause the appearance of brindling on solid spots. This does not make Rex the ideal coat for showing Dominant Spot, Recessive Dappled, or Tort/Tri colored hamsters.


Rex is a simple recessive gene (rx). In order for a hamster to be Rex, it must inherit the gene from both parents. Two Rex hamsters, when bred together, will produce a litter of all Rex pups. A Rex bred to a non-rex (who does not carry Rex) will produce a litter of non-Rex pups, however they will all carry Rex. If those pups are in turn bred to each other, to other Rex carriers, or to a Rex, they will produce Rex offspring. Thus it is very easy to combine Rex with any other color, marking, or coat type

[cheekoandkeiko]

curly hammies! That should be cute looking...although I can see your point about the grooming. lol. you guys have any pictures of any?