Chinese hamster
| Chinese hamster | |
|---|---|
| |
| A wild-type Chinese hamster | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Cricetinae |
| Genus: | Cricetulus |
| Species: | C. griseus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cricetulus griseus Milne-Edwards, 1867
| |
TheChinese hamster(Cricetulus griseusorCricetulus barabensis griseus) is a rodent in the genusCricetulusof the subfamilyCricetidaethat originated in the deserts of northernChinaandMongolia.They are distinguished by an uncommonly long tail in comparison to other hamsters, most of whose tails are stubby. Chinese hamsters are primarilynocturnal,however they will stay awake for brief periods, in between naps, throughout the day.
Description[edit]
Chinese hamsters grow to between 82 and 127 mm in body length (tail length 20–33 mm) and weigh 1.7 grams at birth, then as they get older can weigh 30–45 grams. Males have a fairly largescrotumrelative to their body size. Their body proportions, compared to otherhamster species– most of which tend to be compact – appear "long and thin" and they have (for ahamster) a relatively long tail. They live two to three years on average.
The wild color is brown with a black stripe down the spine, black and grey ticks and a whitish belly. This coloration, combined with their lithe build and longer tail, makes them look "mousy" to some eyes and, in fact, they are members of the group calledratlike hamsters.
Chinese hamsters andChinese striped hamstersare solitary, like most hamsters other than the threePhodopusspecies.[a]
Taxonomy[edit]
The taxonomic names of the Chinese hamster and the closely relatedChinese striped hamsterare unsettled. Some authorities consider the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) and the Chinese striped hamster (Cricetulus barabensis) different species,[1]whereas others classify them assubspecies,[2] in which case the Latin name of the Chinese hamster becomesCricetulus barabensis griseus,and theChinese striped hamsterbecomesCricetulus barabensis barabensis.[3]
Domestication[edit]
Chinese hamsters were first domesticated aslab animals,but have mostly fallen out of use. They were subsequently kept as pets (although not thepet hamster speciescommonly kept in North America).
Lab animals[edit]
 |
In the past, before scientists started using other rodents, Chinese hamsters were commonly usedlab animals.They were replaced by the common mouse and rat, which are more convenient to breed and to keep in small cages; however, several biotech drugs are still being produced by putting the gene for the protein intoChinese hamster ovary cells,which then produce the protein.
Pets[edit]
Female Chinese hamsters were generally kept as pets, and males used solely for breeding. Being naturally solitary, they tend to be aggressive if kept in enclosures which are too small, or are inhabited by other hamsters. They can be nippy, but quickly become tame. Once successfully tamed, they are easily handled. Chinese hamsters can be quite nervous as youngsters but, once they are tamed, can display an endearing calm and gentle character. One of their endearing habits is clinging to a handler's finger with all four paws – rather like aharvest mouseon a corn stalk.
Prohibitions[edit]
SomeU.S. states,such asCaliforniaandNew Jersey,regard the Chinese hamster as apestor anexotic animal,and require a special permit to own, breed or sell them.[4]
Colour varieties[edit]
Besides the wild colour, a well-known variation in domesticated breeds is the "spotted white" or "dominant spot" Chinese hamster, which often is grayish-white all over, with only a dark stripe on its back.
As yet, there are only three colour varieties among domesticated Chinese hamsters:[4]
- normal / wild type
- dominant spot or spotted white
- black-eyed white
-
normal / wild-type (note the large scrotum, left) -
dominant spot or spotted white (note the tail lengths) -
black-eyed white
Normal and dominant spot are readily available in the pet trade throughout theUnited Kingdom,whereas the black-eyed white is extremely rare; only a few are owned by hobbyist breeders in theU.K.
In media[edit]
The Chinese dwarf hamster is the animal of choice featured in thespeculative evolutionprojectHamster's Paradise.
See also[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ^Confusingly, the namedwarf hamstersincludes several other species in the same genusCricetulus(Tibetan dwarf hamster,Kam dwarf hamster,Lama dwarf hamster,long-tailed dwarf hamster,grey dwarf hamster,Sokolov's dwarf hamster) as well as hamsters in the genusPhodopus,(Russian dwarf hamster,Campbell's dwarf hamster,Roborovski dwarf hamster). Oftendwarf hamsteris used to refer only toPhodopus.All of these hamsters are in the subfamilyCricetinae.
References[edit]
- ^"Cricetulus".The NCBI taxonomy database.
- ^"SRS db query re 'Chinese hamster'".Columbia University.Retrieved16 August2009.[dead link]
- ^Tofts, Russell."The Chinese hamster (Cricetulus barabensis) ".napak.com.Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2006.
- ^abLianne, McLeod (15 August 2018)."Chinese striped hamsters as pets".The Spruce Pets;orLianne, McLeod."Chinese hamsters".About.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-08-13.
External links[edit]
- "Detailed information on Chinese hamsters".foreverhamsters.webs.com.Archived fromthe originalon 5 January 2010.
- "The Chinese hamster".napak.com.Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2006.
- "Taxonomy of hamsters".nic.funet.fi.
- "Pet rodent classification".RatBehavior.org.
- "Hamster species".Mike-Duquette.org.Hamster pages. Archived fromthe originalon 3 June 2006.
- "Chinese hamsters".Pet Web Site (formerly The Complete Hamster Site).Archived fromthe originalon 2016-12-25.
- "Chinese hamster genome".pre.ensembl.org.Archived fromthe originalon 11 November 2014,inEnsembl
- View thecriGri1genome assembly in theUCSC Genome Browser.
- GBIF ID: 2438773 –"Cricetulus barabensis".Global Biodiversity Information Facility.