European hamster

European hamster
Hamster photographed at Vienna Central Cemetery
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Cricetinae
Genus: Cricetus
Leske, 1779
Species:
C. cricetus
Binomial name
Cricetus cricetus
European hamster range (green)
Synonyms[2]
List
  • Cricetus albus Fitzinger, 1867
  • Cricetus babylonicus Nehring, 1903
  • Cricetus canescens Nehring, 1899
  • Cricetus frumentarius Pallas, 1811
  • Cricetus fulvus Bechstein, 1801
  • Cricetus fuscidorsis Argyropulo, 1932
  • Cricetus germanicus Kerr, 1792
  • Cricetus jeudii Gray, 1873
  • Cricetus latycranius Ognev, 1923
  • Cricetus nehringi' Matschie, 1901
  • Cricetus niger Fitzinger, 1867
  • Cricetus nigricans Lacépède, 1799
  • Cricetus polychroma Krulikovski, 1916
  • Cricetus rufescens Nehring, 1899
  • Cricetus stavropolicus Satunin, 1907
  • Cricetus tauricus Ognev, 1924
  • Cricetus tomensis Ognev, 1924
  • Cricetus varius Fitzinger, 1867
  • Cricetus vulgaris Geoffroy, 1803
  • Mus cricetus Linnaeus, 1758

The European hamster (Cricetus cricetus), also known as the Eurasian hamster,[3] black-bellied hamster[4] or common hamster,[5][6][1] is the only species of hamster in the genus Cricetus.[2] It is native to grassland and similar habitats in a large part of Eurasia, extending from Belgium to the Altai Mountains and Yenisey River in Russia.[7] Historically, it was considered a farmland pest and had been trapped for its fur. Its population has declined drastically in recent years and is now considered critically endangered.[1][8] The main threats to the species are thought to be intensive agriculture, habitat destruction, and persecution by farmers.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Banaszek, A.; Bogomolov, P.; Feoktistova, N.; La Haye, M.; Monecke, S.; Reiners, T. E.; Rusin, M.; Surov, A.; Weinhold, U. & Ziomek, J. (2020). "Cricetus cricetus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T5529A111875852. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T5529A111875852.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Musser, G. G.; Carleton, M. D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1043. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. ^ "Eurasian hamster". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Cricetus Cricetus – Common or Black-Bellied Hamster". AgroAtlas. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Common Hamster: Cricetus Cricetus" (PDF). Habitats Directive. European Commission. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  6. ^ "hamster". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Cricetus cricetus". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  8. ^ Dell'Amore, Christine (18 July 2020). "World's rarest wild hamster is now critically endangered". National Geographic.