Phodopus is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of rodent

Rodent

Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....

 in the vole

Vole

A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...

 and hamster

Hamster

Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera....

 family Cricetidae

Cricetidae

The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, and New World rats and mice...

. Its three species, together with most of those of genus Cricetulus, are known as "dwarf hamsters", because of their small size (roughly 7 to 10 cm (2.8 to 3.9 in)) relative to other hamsters. Like most hamsters, members of Phodopus have short tails, which range from 4 to 13 mm (0.15748031496063 to 0.511811023622047 in) in length, depending on the species, and have buccal pouches in which they can store food.