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European hamster
European hamster
- THAT'S ME
- FACTS
- OBSERVATIONS
- MULTIMEDIA
- ST.MARTINS
- QUIZ
Dear explorer, Dear explorers!
I am considered one of the cutest and most colorful furry animals in Europe, but unfortunately that hasn't saved me from being one of the rarest and most endangered species in Europe. As a result, I was even voted "Animal of the Year 2024" in Austria.
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 field 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
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Lat. name - Cricetus cricetus
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Size - approx. 280 mm
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Weight - approx. 320 g
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Coloring - strikingly colorful
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Back reddish brown
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light-colored areas on shoulders, neck, cheeks, ears, paws and muzzle
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Belly and throat deep black
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Distribution - Northwest China to the Netherlands, Belgium and France
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Activity - predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal
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Hibernation - yes
Appearance
A "colorful" coat coloration sounds somewhat unusual and misleading for a mammal at first. However, if you take a closer look at the coloration, you will immediately notice that it is actually more "colorful" than the fur of other mammal species. The back is reddish brown. The shoulders, cheeks, ears, paws, neck and muzzle, on the other hand, are light-colored. The belly and throat are black. In addition, 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 field hamster is a rodent and is the only native hamster species in Austria. Its distribution area in Austria is only in the north-east and east. It is a true "steppe species" that only occurs below 400 m above sea level and in a Pannonian climate. It mainly colonizes flat areas with diggable subsoil material and sufficient distance from groundwater. This includes fields, roadsides, dry grassland, but also home gardens and courtyards in villages and urban areas.
Burrowable subsoil material is therefore important, as hamsters build underground burrows and spend a large part of their lives in them. These burrows can reach up to two meters deep into the earth. The openings on the surface have a diameter of between six and ten centimetres. Hamsters spend their hibernation in such a burrow, always individually. They hoard a large supply of food in it throughout the year, which ensures their survival during the winter. The average stockpile is around two kilograms. Their diet is varied and ranges from grains, seeds, fresh and dry 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.
As hamsters are at the bottom of the food chain, they have many enemies. These include red foxes(Vulpes vulpes), steppe iltis(Mustela eversmanni), harriers(Circus sp.), saker falcons(Falco cherrug), kestrels(F. innunculus), buzzards(Buteo buteo) and imperial eagles(Aquila heliaca), to name but a few. However, they find good hiding places in their extensive underground burrow and tunnel system. However, if they have no means of escape, hamsters can become extremely defensive (even towards humans). When threatened, they puff themselves up and make threatening and hissing noises. If the enemy cannot be chased away, a very special natural spectacle takes place: they throw themselves on their backs and show their black belly and white legs, giving the impression of a wide-open mouth with teeth and driving the enemy away.
In general, hamsters have a very short life expectancy, with a maximum age of around two years.
Hazards
Picture credits: © Nina Lipecki
Sealing and intensification of agriculture pose the greatest threat to the European hamster. Due to the increasingly large-scale and efficient cultivation of arable land, hamsters have less and less opportunity to build up vital food supplies. Due to the fact that the machinery used and therefore the cultivated areas are becoming ever larger, the typical small-scale agriculture in eastern Austria is disappearing and with it the suitable habitat of the field hamster. The sealing of high-quality agricultural land is also destroying valuable habitat.
How can you help?
Despite these many challenges, there are ways to help the field hamster. On the one hand, you can buy food from regional, small-scale farmers who pay attention to "hamster-friendly" farming practices. On the other hand, you can also create a potential habitat for hamsters by designing your garden as close to nature as possible, especially if you live on the outskirts of a village. Such landscaped areas do not necessarily have to serve as a habitat for this rodent, but also represent valuable "stepping stone biotopes", i.e. areas that are suitable for safe migration. The "hamster-friendly" management of land also ensures the survival of other animal species.
Where to find
When to observe
In general, hamsters are difficult to observe, as they live hidden lives, are mainly crepuscular and nocturnal and hibernate during the cold season (between September/October and March/April) and therefore do not leave their burrows. As mentioned above, the availability of (small-scale) agricultural areas with sufficient food (diverse) is a prerequisite for the occurrence of field hamsters. In Seewinkel there is still the possibility of encountering these colorful rodents due to the presence of small-scale and rural structures. However, due to the increasing intensification of agriculture and sealing, the number of hamsters and therefore many of the "steppe dwellers" here in the region has fallen sharply. A great way to get to know the field hamster and its preparation for hibernation is on the pleasure safari. This safari is all about "eating" (including a regional picnic).
Correct observation
Field hamsters can occasionally be seen scampering across the road. In the National Park conservation area around the Lange Lacke, where naturally cultivated farmland borders on grazed hay meadows, there are very good opportunities to encounter the odd field hamster. However, looking from a distance avoids unnecessary disturbance. Rather than trying to get closer and closer to the animal, enjoy the view or take photos through the appropriate lens.
Videos with special content on the field hamster
Around St. Martins
With a bit of luck, you can also spot hamsters on the grounds of St. Martins thermal baths & Lodge.
Due to the near-natural cultivation of the company's own grounds and the adjacent relatively small-scale agricultural areas, there are suitable, "hamster-friendly" habitats. However, discovering them on a walk along the St. Martins discovery trail is probably a matter of luck and not necessarily a frequent occurrence.
