Mouse-like hamsters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mouse-like HamstersTemporal range: Late Miocene - Recent
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Calomyscus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Superfamily: | |
| Family: |
Calomyscidae
Vorontsov & Potapova, 1979
|
| Genus: |
Calomyscus
Thomas, 1905
|
Mouse-like hamsters are small rodents that look a lot like regular hamsters, but they are actually different! You can find them in countries like Syria, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. They usually live in rocky, slightly elevated areas in deserts.
Even though they look similar, mouse-like hamsters are not "true" hamsters. Scientists once thought they were hamsters because of their teeth. However, mouse-like hamsters do not have the big cheek pouches or the very short tail that real hamsters have. All the animals in this group (called a genus) were once thought to be the same species, Calomyscus bailwardi. But now, scientists know they are different species. This is because they have clear differences in their chromosomes, skull size, weight, and other features.
Keeping Mouse-like Hamsters as Pets
In Europe, some types of Calomyscus can be kept as pets. These are sometimes called Calomyscus bailwardi mystax or Calomyscus bailwardi. You usually won't find them in regular pet shops. Instead, special breeders or people who really love mice and hamsters might sell them.
How Long Do Mouse-like Hamsters Live?
Mouse-like hamsters are known for living a very long time for a mouse species. One mouse-like hamster lived for an amazing 9 years, 3 months, and 18 days while living with humans. They often live for more than 4 years when kept as pets. The next longest-living mouse species, the Canyon Mouse (Peromyscus crinitus), lives about 7 years and 8 months. This makes mouse-like hamsters quite special!
Types of Mouse-like Hamsters
There are several different species of mouse-like hamsters. Each one lives in a specific area:
- Calomyscus bailwardi – This is the Zagros Mountains mouse-like hamster, found in Iran.
- Calomyscus baluchi – Known as the Pakistan mouse-like hamster, it lives in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- Calomyscus elburzensis – Goodman's mouse-like hamster is found in northeastern Iran and southern Turkmenistan.
- Subspecies Calomyscus elburzensis zykovi – Zykov's mouse-like hamster is a type found in southeastern Turkmenistan.
- Calomyscus grandis – This is the Noble mouse-like hamster, living near Tehran.
- Calomyscus hotsoni – Hotson's mouse-like hamster comes from southern Pakistan.
- Calomyscus mystax – The Great Balkhan mouse-like hamster is found in Turkmenistan.
- Calomyscus tsolovi – This is the Syrian mouse-like hamster, living in Syria.
- Calomyscus urartensis – The Urar mouse-like hamster is found in Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran.
