Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus)

The Chinese hamster originated from north-east China. Its natural habitat consisted of areas of dry, open land and zones skirting the deserts. This hamster is an excellent digger and feeds mainly on seeds and shoots. During the winter it is predominantly nocturnal, while it is active in both the day and the night during the summer.

The morphology of the Chinese hamster is very different from that of other dwarf hamsters, since it is thinner and longer; its head is also longer, resembling that of a mouse. Compared to other hamsters it also has a different tail, which is relatively long (about 2-3 cm) and almost completely hairless.

The animal’s coat is very short on the limbs and the inferior part of the paws is hairless. The original colour was grey-brown with a dark grey undercoat. The lower half of the body is greyish-white. The ears, dark brown with a light brown edge, are covered with very short hair. The eyes are black. The Chinese hamster has both two flank glands, like the Golden hamster, although they are difficult to see, and a ventral gland, like hamsters of the genus Phodopus. The cheek pouches are particularly large and can contain very considerable amounts of food.

In the case of Chinese hamsters it is easy to distinguish males from females, even without touching the animals. In fact, the testicles are very evident and give the posterior part of the body, next to the tail, a rounded, protuberant contour.

As pets Chinese hamsters do not have particular characteristics that make them preferable to other hamsters; indeed, they are rather timid animals that are easily stressed and more difficult to tame. However, once accustomed to being handled, they have a docile character. Chinese hamsters can be extremely aggressive with other hamsters of their species; in particular, the females can attack and kill a male.

Physiological parameters

Reproductive parameters