Kangzang hamster belongs to the subfamily Cricetinae. Its former Chinese name was Tibetan hamster. Its taxonomic status is stable, but there are many subspecies. It was later revised by Wang Song and Zheng Changlin (1973) to have 4 subspecies in China. It is a plateau species, living in alpine shrubs and meadows.
Little is known about the biological data of this species. Tibetan hamsters are endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. They live in caves with simple tunnel structures, single tunnels, and few branches. There is one entrance, open and unblocked, with a diameter of about 4.5~5cm. The depth of the cave is generally about 50cm, and there are nests and warehouses in the cave. Sometimes they also use abandoned caves of other rodents and marmots or make nests in cracks in the soil and rocks. They are quite adaptable to the harsh conditions of the plateau. They are active day and night. They are not afraid of people.
Tibetan hamsters mainly feed on grains and grass seeds, and also prey on small animals such as insects. They do not hibernate, and mainly store food in winter. Their natural enemies mainly include pit vipers, stoats, weasels, weasels, eagles, eagles, cats, etc.
The breeding season of Tibetan hamsters is between May and August, with the peak of breeding in June and July. There are 5 to 10 pups per litter, with 7 to 8 being the most common.
Listed in the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ver 3.1 - Least Concern (LC).
