What is Cricetidae?
{{Taxobox | name = Cricetids | fossil_range = Middle [[Miocene]] - Recent | image = Meadvole.jpg | image_width = 220px | image_caption = [[Meadow Vole]]<br />''Microtus pennsylvanicus'' | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordata]] | classis = [[Mammal]]ia | infraclassis = [[Eutheria]] | superordo = [[Euarchontoglires]] | ordo = [[Rodent]]ia | subordo = [[Myomorpha]] | superfamilia = [[Muroidea]] | familia = '''Cricetidae''' | familia_authority = [[Johann Fischer von Waldheim|J. Fischer]], 1817 | subdivision_ranks = [[Subfamily (biology)|Subfamilies]] | subdivision = [[Arvicolinae]]<br /> [[Cricetinae]]<br /> [[Neotominae]]<br /> [[Sigmodontinae]]<br /> [[Tylomyinae]]<br /> and see below }} The '''Cricetidae''' are a [[family (biology)|family]] of [[rodent]]s in the large and complicated superfamily [[Muroidea]]. It includes true [[hamster]]s, [[vole]]s, [[lemming]]s, and [[New World rats and mice]]. With almost 600 species, it is the second largest family of [[mammal]]s, and has animals in it in the [[New World]], [[Asia]], and [[Europe]]. == Characteristics == The cricetids are small mammals, ranging from just 5 to 8&nbsp;cm and 7&nbsp;grams in weight in the [[Baiomys|New World Pygmy Mouse]], up to 41 to 62&nbsp;cm and 1,100&nbsp;grams in the [[Muskrat]]. How long the tail is depends on how big the body is, and the tails can be either with hair or a little hair. Most species have brown fur, with a white colored underbelly, but there are also many other patterns, especially in the [[Cricetinae|cricetine]] and [[Arvicolinae|arvicoline]] subfamilies. Like the [[Muridae|Old World Mice]], cricetids live in a wide range of habitats, in the high [[Arctic]] to tropical [[rainforest]]s and hot [[desert]]s. Some are good at climbing, with long balancing tails and other way to help them to climb, while others can swim, with webbed feet and small [[pinna (anatomy)|external ears]]. Yet others are burrowing animals, or ground-dwellers, which live in the ground. Their diet is also variable, with [[herbivore|herbivorous