Striped Desert Hamster
Phodopus sungorus
The adult Striped Desert Hamster lives in burrow networks across cold, dry grasslands, semi-deserts, and field margins. It forages mainly at dusk or night, carrying seeds and plant material in expandable cheek pouches back to storage chambers. Its diet includes seeds, grasses, roots, and occasional insects, while its main defenses are rapid retreats, biting, and staying close to tunnel cover. A notable feature is the dark stripe along the back, and in colder seasons the coat can become much paler for camouflage in snowy ground.
- Type
- Burrow
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Striped Desert Hamster