Striped hairy-footed hamster, Djungarian hamster, Siberian hamster, Campbell's hamster, Campbell's dwarf hamster
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 grey 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, in captivity, there is no fixed breeding season and they can breed frequently throughout the year. Females are usually sexually mature at two months of age 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 Russian Federation.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
An omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Campbell’s dwarf hamster is native to Eastern and Central Asia. The species is named after W.C. Campbell, who discovered this animal in Mongolia in 1902. Endemic to Djungaria region of Mongolia, these animals are sometimes called 'Djungarian hamsters', but they differ from this closely related species by the lack of dark fur on their crown as well as smaller ears. These hamsters have been bred as laboratory animals in the UK since 1968. In 1980s, they gain popularity in the pet market. On its dorsum, this animal exhibits a band, very similar to that of the Djungarian hamster. The fur on the stomach is grey.
These animals are distributed throughout central Asia, the Altai Mountains, autonomous region of Tuva as well as the Hebei province in northeastern China. Preferred habitat of the Campbell's dwarf hamster is steppes and semi-deserts. The animal usually lives in burrows, having 4 - 6 horizontal and vertical tunnels.
The Campbell’s hamsters are usually solitary in the wild, whereas individuals in captivity often don't mind the presence of other species in their territory. As nocturnal animals, they forage at night and are able to travel up to one mile when looking for food. Due to expendable pouches on their cheeks that can comprise large amounts of materials, they are able to store food or bedding while foraging at night. Carrying the food in their cheeks, they subsequently store it at their burrows. Their burrows are up to 3 meters deep, underground excavations. Each burrow has several exits and entrances and consists of comfortable chambers. They usually line the walls of these chambers with scavenged sheep wool and dry grass for greater comfort. When threatened, these animals quickly enter one of the entrances to the burrows and thus escaping a predator. When moving quickly, they usually run with short steps. When fleeing from a predator, they move quickly and abruptly.
The Campbell’s hamsters are herbivores (folivores and granivores), they generally feed upon seeds, nuts and vegetation, complementing this diet with small invertebrates and insects. They are also known to consume corn, oats, sunflower, peanuts, dried fruits, dehydrated vegetables, alfalfa, minerals and salts.
Campbell’s hamsters are polygynandrous (promiscuous), which means that both males and females have multiple mates. Various populations of this species breed at different periods of the year, depending on location. Thus, the breeding season starts in April for population in Tuva, and in May - for that in Transbaikalia regions of Mongolia. They usually breed until September - early October. Campbell’s hamsters in the wild usually yield 3 - 4 litters of 7 young on average per year. Meanwhile, those in captivity may produce from a single to 18 litters of 1 - 9 young per year. Gestation period for those in captivity lasts 18 - 20 days. To the date, the shortest recorded gestation period of a Campbell’s hamster in captivity was 13 days. Newborn babies of this species are helpless and lack hair. They young cared by their parents until 17 days old, after which they are weaned. Males become mature at 23 days of age, while females become gain reproductive maturity at 48 days of age.
Although the Campbell’s hamsters are quite common and widespread throughout their range, there are some minor threats to certain populations of this species. Thus, those in arid habitat may suffer from lack of enough water resources. On the other hand, those inhabiting steppes of central Asia are threatened by increasing numbers of livestock that may destruct their burrows.
According to IUCN, the Campbell’s hamster is common and widely distributed but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) and its number remain stable.
On one hand, Campbell’s hamsters serve as seed dispersers, thus helping a number of plants survive. On the other hand, they are a key prey species for Corsac foxes.
