Common hamster - stmartins.at

Dear explorer, Dear explorers!

I am considered one of the cutest and most colorful furry animals in Europe, but unfortunately that has not protected me from now ranking among Europe's rarest and most endangered animal species. In Austria, I was even voted "Animal of the Year 2024" as a result.

I'll tell you where you can find me in Austria and whether you can also discover me on a Seewinkel safari in the current issue of the newsletter.

Your common hamster
(Cricetus cricetus)

_{Image credit: SgH Vienna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons}_{Header image credit: Sphoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons}

Worth knowing

Latin name – Cricetus cricetus
Size - approx. 280 mm
Weight - approx. 320 g
Coloring - strikingly colorful
- Back reddish brown
- light-colored areas on shoulders, neck, cheeks, ears, paws and muzzle
- Belly and throat deep black
Distribution - Northwest China to the Netherlands, Belgium and France
Activity – predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal
Hibernation - yes

Appearance

A "colorful" coat coloration initially sounds somewhat unusual and misleading for a mammal. However, upon closer inspection of the coloration, it is immediately noticeable that it is indeed "more colorful" than the fur of other mammal species. The back is reddish-brown. Shoulders, cheeks, ears, paws, neck, and snout, on the other hand, are lightly colored. The belly and throat, in turn, are black. Furthermore, the relatively large, protruding ears, black eyes, and pink nose are particularly striking.

_{Image credit: Martin Dürr from Stockerau NÖ, Austria, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons}

_{Image credit: katanski, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons}

Biology

The common hamster belongs to the rodent family and is Austria's only native hamster species. In Austria, its distribution area is limited to the northeast and east. It is a true "steppe species" that only occurs below 400 m above sea level and in a Pannonian climate. It predominantly inhabits flat areas that feature diggable subsurface material and sufficient distance from the groundwater table. These include fields, field margins, dry grasslands, as well as home gardens and cemeteries in village and urban areas.

Diggable subsurface material is important because common hamsters construct underground burrows and spend a large part of their lives in them. These dwellings can reach up to two meters deep into the earth. The openings on the surface have a diameter between six and ten centimeters. Common hamsters spend their hibernation alone, each in their own burrow. Throughout the year, they hoard a large food supply in it, which ensures their survival during the winter. The average amount stored is around two kilograms. Their diet is diverse and ranges from grains, seeds, fresh and dried plant parts to insects and carrion.

In March or April, the rodents, adult males usually first, wake up from their hibernation and start mating as soon as possible. To do this, the male seeks out females. For the rest of the year, the two sexes go their separate ways again. There can be several litters per year, with between three and 15 young per litter. The young are born after a gestation period of around 20 days and leave the mother's den for the first time after around 17 days.

Since common hamsters are at the bottom of the food chain, they have many predators. These include, above all, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanni), harriers (Circus sp.), saker falcon (Falco cherrug), kestrel (F. innunculus), common buzzard (Buteo buteo), and eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), to name just a few important ones. However, they find good hiding places in their extensive underground burrow and tunnel system. Yet if they have no means of escape, common hamsters can become extremely defensive (even towards humans). When threatened, they puff themselves up and emit threatening and hissing sounds. If this does not scare the predator away, a truly unique natural spectacle occurs: they throw themselves onto their backs, displaying their black belly and white legs, which is intended to create the impression of a wide-open mouth with teeth and chase the predator away.

Generally, common hamsters have a very short life expectancy, with a maximum age of around two years.

Hazards

European hamster looking out of an earth burrow.

_{Picture credits: © Nina Lipecki}

Soil sealing and the intensification of agriculture pose the greatest threat to the common hamster. Due to increasingly large-scale and efficient management of agricultural land, common hamsters have fewer and fewer opportunities to build up life-sustaining food reserves. Because the machinery used, and consequently the farmed areas, are becoming ever larger, the traditional small-scale agriculture in eastern Austria is disappearing, along with the suitable habitat for the common hamster. The sealing of high-quality agricultural land additionally destroys valuable habitat.

How can you help?

Despite these numerous challenges, there are ways to help the common hamster. On one hand, groceries can be sourced from regional, small-scale farmers who pay attention to "hamster-friendly" farming practices. On the other hand, a potential habitat for common hamsters can be created through garden designs that are as natural as possible, especially when living on the outskirts of town. Areas designed in this way do not necessarily have to serve as a habitat for this rodent, but also represent valuable "stepping-stone biotopes," meaning areas suitable for safe migration. "Hamster-friendly" land management also ensures the survival of other animal species.

Where to find

When to observe
Generally, common hamsters are difficult to observe because, on the one hand, they live hidden lives, are mainly crepuscular and nocturnal, and hibernate during the cold season (between September/October and March/April), thus not leaving their burrow. As mentioned above, the sufficient presence of (small-scale) agricultural land with ample (diverse) food is a prerequisite for the presence of common hamsters. In the Seewinkel, due to the presence of small-scale and rural structures, there is still the opportunity to encounter these colorful rodents. However, due to the increasing intensification of agriculture and soil sealing, the number of common hamsters and thus many "steppe dwellers" has also declined sharply in this region here. A fantastic opportunity to get to know the common hamster and its preparation for hibernation is during the Delight Safari. This safari revolves entirely around the theme of "eating" (incl. regional picnic).

Observing correctly
Common hamsters are occasionally seen darting across the road. In the national park conservation zone around Lange Lacke, where near-naturally farmed arable land borders grazed pasture areas, there are very good opportunities to encounter one common hamster or another. However, viewing them from a distance avoids unnecessary disturbance. It is better to enjoy the sight or take photographs using appropriate optics rather than trying to get closer and closer to the animal.

Videos with special content about the common hamster

Wild animal of the year - the common hamster | Good to know:

Common hamster country – Rescue for the endangered common hamster

How the common hamster gets a chance of survival | Terra X plus

Around St. Martins

With a little luck, you can also discover common hamsters on the grounds of St. Martins thermal baths and Lodge.

Thanks to the near-natural management of the in-house grounds and the adjacent relatively small-scale agricultural areas, suitable "hamster-friendly" habitats exist. Discovering them during a walk along the St. Martins explorers' trail, however, is likely more a matter of luck and not necessarily a frequent occurrence.