[2] Like other hamsters, members of Phodopus have a round body shape, short tails and cheek pouches in which they can store food.

[8] Consequently, they are listed in the Kazakhstan Government Regulation of Approval of Rare and Endangered Animal and Plant Species Index (2006).

[8] Fossils assignable to the genus occur in the Pleistocene in Europe and in the Late Pliocene of Kazakhstan,[11] despite the fact that molecular data suggest the lineage is no younger than 8.5 million years.

Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. first described the genus Phodopus in 1910, designating Cricetulus bedfordiae as its type species.

)[12]: p.1  The genus name derives from Ancient Greek φῳδός, phōdós (genitive of φῴς, phṓs) 'blister' and πούς, poús 'foot' and refers to the large pad on the sole of each foot.

Using several molecular dating techniques, researchers have determined that the Phodopus lineage may have originated 8.5 to 12.2 million years ago (mya).

Neumann et al.[2] determined that, at least for cytochrome b, P. campbelli and P. sungorus do not display the level of genetic divergence characteristic of sister rodent species.

[14] P. roborovskii, on the other hand, has levels of genetic divergence from the other two taxa in the genus characteristic of genera among small mammals.

P. roborovskii is also distinct from the other species morphologically (in its smaller body size and pelage, for example) and ecologically (preferring sandy, arid habitats).

"Djungarian" (or "Dzhungarian" or "Zungarian") and "Siberian" have been applied to both P. sungorus and P. campbelli in the scientific literature,[8][16] and all three species have been called "desert" hamsters as well.

Some dwarf hamsters are albino, in which case they will be primarily white and the fur colour characteristics will not serve to distinguish them.

[15] Phodopus sungorus: In the summer, the face is brown, which is slightly lighter than the fur around the mouth and ears.

[19] Phodopus species display a variety of morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations to seasonal temperature extremes and aridity.

To survive the exceptional cold of winter, they have evolved spherical, compact bodies with excellent insulation, including both fur and fat.

[20] During periods of extreme cold (below -20 °C), P. sungorus adopts a characteristic hunched posture, with its head and forepaws tucked under its belly.

Phodopus species inhabit the mountainous forests, steppes, and semideserts of Mongolia and the adjacent areas of China, northeast Kazakhstan, and the southern part of the West Siberian lowlands of Tuva and Dauria.

The first laboratory use of Phodopus stemmed from a breeding colony established in Leningrad at the Zoological Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union.

Both P. sungorus and P. campbelli are popular research animals, especially as they differ enough in behavior and physiology to support fruitful comparison studies.