One of the 4 hamsters on WAnimals
Mammals · Rodentia · Cricetidae
Golden Hamster
Mesocricetus auratus
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
The golden hamster, or Syrian hamster, is one of the most widely kept pets in the world and, at the same time, a threatened species in the wild. In the wild it is known only from a small strip of northern Syria and southern Turkey, where it occupies farmland and steppe with soft soil. It is strictly solitary and territorial: adults attack one another if forced to live together. It digs burrows with separate chambers for sleeping, storing seeds and defecating.
Weight
100 g – 200 g
Size
13 cm – 18 cm
Lifespan
3 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- Almost every domestic golden hamster in the world descends from a single female with twelve young caught at Aleppo in 1930 by the zoologist Israel Aharoni.
- Its cheek pouches can stretch back to its hips and carry almost half its own body weight in seeds in a single trip.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Steppe and farmland with clay soils of northern Syria and southern Turkey
- Sexual maturity
- 48 days
- Gestation / incubation
- 16 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 9
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesocricetus_auratus
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Golden Hamster — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Southern Water Vole
Arvicola sapidus
Common Vole
Microtus arvalis
Striped Desert Hamster
Phodopus sungorus
Bushy-tailed Woodrat
Neotoma cinerea
Desert Hamster
Phodopus roborovskii
Hispid Cotton Rat
Sigmodon hispidus
How to help
The golden hamster is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
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