Cricetus cricetus (Rodentia: Cricetidae)

摘要: Cricetus cricetus (Linnaeus, 1758) is a medium-sized cricetid commonly called the common hamster. A sexually dimorphic rodent of unique coloration with robust body, blunt head, short legs, and rudimentary tail, it largest hamster only species in genus Cricetus. It easily recognizable by color pattern contrasting dark light areas. Because its distribution extends from northwestern Europe to eastern China across 5,500 km low altitude agricultural land, steppe, forest frequently used term European misleading. Both geographic range relative abundance started declining 1960s on western edge distribution, now C. protected Bern Convention Fauna-Flora-Habitats Directives.