Campbell's dwarf hamster

Campbell's dwarf hamster
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Cricetinae
Genus:	Phodopus
Species:	P. campbelli
Binomial name
Phodopus campbelli (Thomas, 1905)
Synonyms[2]
Phodopus tuvinicus Orlov and Iskharova, 1974 Phodopus crepidatus Hollister, 1912

Campbell's dwarf hamster (Phodopus campbelli) is a species of hamster in the genus Phodopus. It was given its common name by Oldfield Thomas in honor of Charles William Campbell, who collected the first specimen in Mongolia on July 1, 1902. It is distinguished from the closely related Djungarian hamster as it has smaller ears and no dark fur on its crown. Campbell's dwarf hamster typically has a narrow dorsal stripe compared to the Djungarian hamster and brown or gray fur on the stomach. This hamster may be raised in captivity and kept as a small pet.

In the wild, the breeding season for Campbell's dwarf hamster varies by location. For example, the breeding season begins towards the middle of April in Tuva and towards the end of April in Mongolia. However, there is no fixed breeding season in captivity, and they can breed frequently throughout the year. Females are usually sexually mature at two months, and the gestation period is typically 20 days. Campbell's dwarf hamster is crepuscular, along with all species of Phodopus and is active throughout the year. Campbell's dwarf hamsters are omnivores, and so feed on both plant and insect material. Campbell's dwarf hamster inhabits burrows with four to six horizontal and vertical tunnels in the steppes and semi deserts of central Asia, the Altai Mountains, autonomous areas of Tuva and the Hebei province in northeastern China.

This hamster is listed as of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is native to China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and the Russian Federation.