Mammals · Rodentia · Cricetidae

Striped Desert Hamster

Phodopus sungorus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The striped desert hamster — also known as the Djungarian hamster or Russian dwarf hamster — is a steppe rodent of Central Asia, very widely kept as a pet. In the wild it shows a remarkable adaptation: in winter it moults to an almost entirely white coat, keeping only the dark dorsal stripe, a seasonal change triggered by the shortening hours of daylight. It lives in shallow burrows and stores seeds for the winter, during which it enters periods of torpor rather than hibernating outright.

Weight

19 g – 45 g

Size

7 cm – 10 cm

Lifespan

2 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertFreshwaterGrasslandOmnivore Nocturnal Solitary Desert Freshwater Grassland Mammal

4countries9same family

Fun facts

GeneralIn the wild its coat turns white in winter, which is rare among rodents.
It turns white in winter: it is one of very few rodents with a seasonal colour moult, and in captivity that change does not happen because artificial lighting stops it perceiving the shortening days.
In the wild the males take an active part in the birth and care of the young, which is exceptional among rodents: they help to clean them and keep them warm while the female feeds.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Dry steppe, sagebrush grassland and wheat fields of southern Siberia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia
Sexual maturity: 3.9 months
Gestation / incubation: 20 days
Litter / clutch size: 5.5 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phodopus_sungorus