The 金丝熊 is easily available from local animal markets in my wife's home town. We asked the owners of different stores and they say it is not a mouse.
So what exactly is it, is it just a fancy name for a mouse or something else?
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Officially, it is "Mesocricetus auratus" (Golden hamster) (source1 source2). It belong to "仓鼠科", and it should a kind of "鼠类" in Chinese. However, as not everybody is a biologist, and as the name for it is "金丝*熊*", it may not be treated as mouse in everyday life. Another reason is that "鼠" does not carry a good meaning in Chinese. It is often related to "stealing" or something alike. So it may be avoided to name a kind pet animal. (However, we do have "仓鼠" for pets.) btw: To be honest, I've never seen a real "金丝熊". |
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According to Baidu Baike, it's a Syrian Hamster or a Golden Hamster. I'd say it's safe to say it's a hamster. Hope that helps! |
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