Urocricetus is a genus of hamsters found on the Tibetan Plateau in southern Asia. These species have relatively long tails for a hamster, with brownish upperparts and a pure white underside.
Taxonomy.
The genus "Urocricetus" was originally described by the Russian zoologist Konstantin Satunin as a subgenus of "Cricetus". "Urocricetus" would be sometimes recognized as a subgenus of "Cricetulus" until 2018, when a phylogenetic study revealed this genus to be valid. This genus is a sister taxa to the desert hamster genus "Phodopus".
As of 2024, two closely related species are recognized in this genus:
The species "Cricetulus lama" and "Cricetulus tibetanus" are recognized as valid by the IUCN but considered a synonym of "Urocricetus kamensis" by the American Society of Mammalogists. Both of these possibly valid species live on the Tibetan Plateau, while the other valid "Cricetulus" species occur further north and northeast of the Tibetan Plateau. More research is needed for this genus at the species level.