Chinese Striped Hamster

Chinese Striped Hamster
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Genus:	Cricetulus
Species:	C. barabensis
Binomial name
Cricetulus barabensis (Pallas, 1773)

The Chinese Striped Hamster (Cricetulus barabensis), also known as the Striped Dwarf Hamster, is a species of hamster. It is distributed across Northern Asia, from southern Siberia through Mongolia and northeastern China to northern North Korea. An adult Chinese Striped Hamster weighs 16.7-31.0g, and has a body length of 74.2-103.6 mm with a tail of 21-36 mm. It is smaller and has a much shorter tail than the Greater Long-tailed Hamster, Tscherskia triton, which inhabits much of the same range.

Latin Nomenclature

There is quite some confusion over the Latin name of the Chinese striped hamster and the closely related Chinese hamster. Some people consider the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) and the Chinese striped hamster (Cricetulus barabensis) different species [1], whereas others classify them as identical [2], the Chinese striped hamster as a subspecies of the Chinese hamster (in which case the Latin name of the Chinese striped hamster would be Cricetulus griseus barabensis) [3] or the other way round (in which case the Latin name of the Chinese hamster would be Cricetulus barabensis griseus) [4].

References

1. ^ Batsaikhan, N., Tinnin, D., Shar, S., Avirmed, D. & Usukhjargal, D. (2008). Cricetulus barabensis. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 12 Jule 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.

• Won Byeong-o (원병오) (2004). 한국의 포유동물 (Hangugui poyudongmul, Mammals of Korea). Seoul: Dongbang Media. ISBN 89-8457-310-8. 

See also

• Chinese Hamster
• List of placental mammals
• List of mammals of Korea

External links

• IUCN