Grey dwarf hamster
Cricetulus migratorius
Degtyarev Nikolai Ivanovich
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 20–58 g, head and body 85–150 mm
- Diet
- Omnivore, seeds, plants, insects
- Status in Georgia
- Vulnerable, numbers falling
- Habitat
- Dry steppe and mountain meadows
- Family
- Cricetidae
- Conservation
- VU / LC
The grey dwarf hamster is the size of a mouse, but its cheek pouches reach its shoulders: in them it carries seeds and green grass to its burrow and stores them for winter. It is an animal of dry places: steppe, semi-desert, mountain meadows, gardens and ploughed fields. In Georgia it is known from Gardabani, Shiraki, Vashlovani and Davit Gareja to Akhalkalaki and Kazbegi. It is active at dusk and at night and usually does not hibernate. Its numbers in Georgia are falling and it is rated Vulnerable, so do not catch a hamster you see in the steppe.
Identification
Grey dwarf hamster: how to identify it
A small, mouse-sized hamster with a short tail and short legs. The back ranges from dark grey-brown to sandy brownish grey, the belly is white or greyish white, and the line between them along the sides is sharp. The eyes are large. Its small size and plain grey back set it apart from most hamsters.
Head and body 85–150 mm, tail 19–39 mm, weight 20–58 g. Mountain animals are larger and darker than lowland ones. The tail is short and white, with a few black hairs above.
The cheek pouches reach the shoulders, so with full pouches the head looks slightly swollen. The whiskers are up to 35 mm long. Females have eight teats.
Brandt's hamster is much larger, 108–175 g, with a sandy brown back, yellowish flanks and a wide black band across the chest. The grey dwarf hamster has no black band and a grey back. So when in doubt, look at the colour of the chest.
The grey dwarf hamster is an animal of dry, open ground: dry grassland, steppe, semi-desert and mountain meadows up to 3600 m. It prefers sparsely vegetated places and avoids damp sites and dense forest. It has also moved into fields and gardens and sometimes enters buildings. In Georgia it is known from Gardabani, Uplistsikhe, Didi Shiraki, Kaspi, Vashlovani National Park, Davit Gareja, Tbilisi (Vake), Aspindza and Akhalkalaki. In the mountains it has been found at Kazbegi, Gudauri, Shatili and Omalo.
The grey dwarf hamster eats roots, shoots, seeds, small fruits and green plants. It does not turn down animal food either: snails and insects, and rarely small reptiles, amphibians and other rodents. One study counted 37 plant species in its diet. It stores up to 400–500 g of food in its burrow's larders and also builds "haystacks" for winter.
The grey dwarf hamster is active at dusk and at night, and is sometimes seen by day, even in the cold. It usually does not hibernate; in winter it is simply less active. It lives alone. It digs a deep burrow, up to 1.5 m down, with nest chambers, larders and 2–5 entrances. It also uses natural holes and cracks in the soil. A female has up to three litters a year. A litter has 1–13 young, usually 6–7. Gestation lasts 16–21 days. The young get their adult colour at 4–5 months, and it lives up to 2 years. Its main enemies are owls, foxes and jackals.
In Georgia the grey dwarf hamster is Vulnerable (VU A2c, 2021 national assessment), and its numbers are falling. Its extent of occurrence in the country is about 23,880 km², and its area of occupancy 11,330 km². It is also listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the 2006 Red List of Georgia, because of a decline in population density. Globally it is not threatened (LC, 2016): its range is vast, and in some places, such as Armenia, it is even more common than the house mouse.
Related guides
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Yes, on dry steppe and mountain meadows. It is known from Gardabani, Shiraki, Vashlovani, Davit Gareja, Uplistsikhe and Akhalkalaki, and in the mountains from Kazbegi, Gudauri, Shatili and Omalo. It has also been found in Tbilisi, in Vake. Its numbers in the country are falling.
By size and colour. The grey dwarf hamster is mouse-sized, up to 58 g, with a grey back and a white belly. Brandt's hamster is much larger and sandy brown, with a wide black band across the chest. That black band is the best sign.
Usually not. In winter it is less active and lives on the stores it laid in over summer. Its burrow larders hold up to 400–500 g of food, plus piles of hay. In cold weather it is sometimes seen by day.
It lives in fields and gardens and eats seeds, shoots and roots. But its diet is much broader: it also eats snails and insects. In Georgia it is Vulnerable and its numbers are falling. So it needs protection more than control.
In Georgia it is rated Vulnerable: VU A2c in the 2021 national assessment, with falling numbers. It is also on the 2006 Red List of Georgia (VU). Globally it is not threatened (LC, 2016) because its range is vast. Do not catch a hamster you see in the steppe.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
