# Golden hamster (*Mesocricetus auratus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/golden-hamster  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), also called the Syrian hamster or Teddy-bear hamster, is a rodent in the family Cricetidae and subfamily Cricetinae. It is a small, terrestrial, nocturnal herbivore with an adult body mass of 105 g, and values up to 108 g reported. Gestation lasts 16 days, litters average 8.7 young, there are 3.75 litters per year, and sexual maturity comes at 48 days. The golden hamster is listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, a threatened category, and has a lifespan of 3.9 years, with values up to 10 years reported.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 105 g – 108 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 3.9 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 10 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 16 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 8.69 |
| Age at maturity | 48 days |
| Litters or clutches a year | 3.75 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Rodentia
- family: Cricetidae
- genus: Mesocricetus
- species: *Mesocricetus auratus* (Waterhouse, 1839)

Synonyms: *Cricetus auratus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the golden hamster?

The golden hamster is a mammal, a rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is also called the Syrian hamster or Teddy-bear hamster.

### How heavy is a golden hamster?

An adult Golden hamster weighs 105 g, with values up to 108 g reported.

### What does the golden hamster eat?

The golden hamster is a herbivore.

### Is the golden hamster endangered?

Yes. The golden hamster is listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, which is a threatened category.

### How long does a golden hamster live?

The golden hamster has a lifespan of 3.9 years, with values up to 10 years reported.

### How many young does a golden hamster have?

A golden hamster litter averages 8.7 young, with 3.75 litters per year after a gestation of 16 days.

### When is the golden hamster active?

The golden hamster is nocturnal and terrestrial.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/golden-hamster