European hamster

European hamster
	Hamster photographed at Vienna Central Cemetery
Conservation status
	; Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Cricetinae
Genus:	Cricetus; Leske, 1779
Species:	C. cricetus
Binomial name
	Cricetus cricetus; (Linnaeus, 1758)
	European hamster range (green)
Synonyms
	List Cricetus albus Fitzinger, 1867 ; Cricetus babylonicus Nehring, 1903 ; Cricetus canescens Nehring, 1899 ; Cricetus frumentarius Pallas, 1811 ; Cricetus fulvus Bechstein, 1801 ; Cricetus fuscidorsis Argyropulo, 1932 ; Cricetus germanicus Kerr, 1792 ; Cricetus jeudii Gray, 1873 ; Cricetus latycranius Ognev, 1923 ; Cricetus nehringi' Matschie, 1901 ; Cricetus niger Fitzinger, 1867 ; Cricetus nigricans Lacépède, 1799 ; Cricetus polychroma Krulikovski, 1916 ; Cricetus rufescens Nehring, 1899 ; Cricetus stavropolicus Satunin, 1907 ; Cricetus tauricus Ognev, 1924 ; Cricetus tomensis Ognev, 1924 ; Cricetus varius Fitzinger, 1867 ; Cricetus vulgaris Geoffroy, 1803 ; Mus cricetus Linnaeus, 1758;

The European hamster (Cricetus cricetus), also known as the Eurasian hamster, black-bellied hamster or common hamster, is the only species of hamster in the genus Cricetus. It is native to grassland and similar habitats in a large part of Eurasia, extending from Belgium to the Altai Mountains and Yenisey River in Russia. Historically, it was considered a farmland pest and had been trapped for its fur. Its population has declined drastically in recent years and is now considered critically endangered. The main threats to the species are thought to be intensive agriculture, habitat destruction, and persecution by farmers.

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