European water vole vs Golden hamster

Arvicola amphibius compared with Mesocricetus auratus

Key Differences

• European water vole is Near Threatened while Golden hamster is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European water vole	Golden hamster
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family same	Cricetidae	Cricetidae
Genus	Arvicola	Mesocricetus
Species	Arvicola amphibius	Mesocricetus auratus

Evolutionary Relationship

European water vole and Golden hamster share a common ancestor at the Family level: Cricetidae.

Conservation Status

European water vole

NT — Near Threatened

Golden hamster

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European water vole	Golden hamster
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

European water vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Golden hamster

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador).

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway