Striped Lesser Hamster

About this species

Size

72–116mm head-and-body length

Weight

20–35g

Diet

Seeds of grasses, grains, and legumes

Habitat

Arid and semiarid grassland, steppe, semi-desert, farmland, and buildings

Range

Southern Siberia through Mongolia and northeastern China to Korea

The striped lesser hamster is a small, short-tailed hamster, usually 72–116mm long and 20–35g. Its common name refers to the dark dorsal stripe running along a generally gray-brown back. The body is compact, the muzzle blunt, and the tail much shorter than that of the greater long-tailed hamster, a species occupying part of the same broad region. The combination of diminutive size, short tail, and back stripe is useful, though close examination may be required among similar Asian hamsters. (Wikipedia, Chinese striped hamster account)

Its range extends from southern Siberia through Mongolia and northeastern China to Korea. Typical habitat includes arid and semiarid grassland, steppe, semi-desert, and farmland; individuals sometimes enter buildings. Several animals may share a burrow system up to a metre long and half a metre deep, with multiple entrances and separate nest and storage chambers. Activity peaks early at night, when hamsters emerge to gather seeds of grasses, grains, and legumes. The account gives no named Mongolian viewing locality. (Wikipedia, Chinese striped hamster account; Mammal Diversity Database, Mongolia country list)

Description: Wildlife of Mongolia guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)