Chinese hamster: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Chinese hamster lives – recorded in 3 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Cricetulus griseus
Group	Mice, rats & other rodents
Found in	3 countries
Continents	Asia, Europe, North America
Class	Mammal
Order	Rodentia
Family	Cricetidae

Where does the Chinese hamster live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Chinese hamster in 3 countries and territories across Asia, Europe and North America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the Chinese hamster?

The Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) is a mammal in the order Rodentia and the family Cricetidae, genus Cricetulus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Chinese hamster

The Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus or Cricetulus barabensis griseus) is a rodent in the genus Cricetulus of the subfamily Cricetidae that originated in the deserts of northern China and Mongolia. They are distinguished by an uncommonly long tail in comparison to other hamsters, most of whose tails are stubby. Chinese hamsters are primarily nocturnal; however, they will stay awake for brief periods, in between naps, throughout the day.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Chinese hamster (revision 1378862307), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q2539773 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).