Long-tailed Lesser Hamster

The long-tailed lesser hamster, also called the long-tailed dwarf hamster, has a head and body length of 8.5–13.5cm and a tail at least a third as long, and weighs 15–50g. The back is either pale sandy brown or dark greyish-brown, with a greyish-white belly and a sharp dividing line along the flank. The slender tail is dark above and white below (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is found in China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia and is nocturnal, feeding on seeds and insects. It digs shallow tunnels and burrows under boulders, with storage chambers for winter food, and sometimes uses abandoned burrows of other animals. Breeding starts in March or April, and two or more litters of up to nine young are born during the summer (Wikipedia, general species account).