The color of the back of the black-lined hamster varies greatly depending on the region. For example, the black-lined hamster in Heilongjiang is brown-red, the black-lined hamster in the western part of northern Shaanxi is yellow-gray, and the black-lined hamster in Beijing is yellow-brown.

The black line hamster has an obvious dark stripe on its back . Its chin, chest, abdomen, inner limbs, dorsum of feet and tail and abdomen are all white or grayish white. The demarcation between the dorsal and belly coats is clear. Black-lined hamster juveniles have a darker grey tint and older individuals have more tawny shades.