Cricetus

Cricetus is a genus of rodents in the family Cricetidae, subfamily Cricetinae, commonly known as hamsters. The genus is best known for its extant species Cricetus cricetus, the European hamster, while the genus also includes several extinct species described from fossil records.

Cricetus cricetus is native to parts of Europe and western Asia, historically ranging from the Iberian Peninsula and Central Europe to western Siberia, though its range has contracted in many areas. It favors open habitats such as steppe, grassland, and cultivated fields, where it constructs extensive burrow systems and caches food for winter. Like other hamsters, it is typically nocturnal or crepuscular and tends to be solitary outside the breeding season.

Diet is omnivorous, including seeds and grains, roots and tubers, greens, and invertebrates. Reproduction occurs in spring and summer in temperate regions, with females producing multiple litters per year; litter sizes vary but are generally several offspring.

Conservation status varies across its range. In many countries, populations have declined due to habitat loss, agricultural intensification, and pesticide use. The European hamster is the focus of conservation actions in parts of Europe, including habitat protection, modifications to farming practices, and captive breeding and reintroduction programs.

Taxonomy notes: the genus name Cricetus has appeared in paleontological literature to classify fossil hamsters, and extinct species are known from fossil deposits spanning the Pliocene to Pleistocene.