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• '''Overview and Physical Description'''
The '''Turkish Hamster''' ''Mesocricetus brandti'' is a species of hamster closely related to the [[Golden Hamster|Syrian Hamster]]. It is used as a laboratory animal in scientific research, but is not widely available on the [[pet]] market. It is available to pet owners in the [[United States|US]], though it is less popular than the [[Golden Hamster|Syrian]] or "Golden" Hamster due to its more aggressive temperament. It does not seem to be available in European pet shops, at least not to the general public.


The '''Turkish Hamster''' (''Mesocricetus brandti''), also referred to as '''Brandt’s Hamster, The Azerbaijani Hamster''' or '''Avurtlak''' <ref name="TrekNature">{{Cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Mesocricetus brandti - Turkish Hamster
| work = TrekNature
| publisher =
| date =
| url = http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo143562.htm
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = April 19, 2011}}</ref>, is a species of hamster native to [[Turkey|Turkey]], [[Armenia|Armenia]] and other surrounding nations <ref name="IUCN RedList">{{Cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Mesocricetus brandti
| work = IUCN RedList
| publisher =
| date =
| url = http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/13220/0
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = April 19, 2011}}</ref>. The Turkish Hamster, first catalogued in 1878, is a fairly close relative of the Syrian Hamster and the [[Golden hamster|Golden Hamster]], though far less is known about it, and it does not seem to be kept as a pet <ref name="Hamster-Care">{{Cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Turkish Hamster
| work = Hamster-Care
| publisher =
| date =
| url = http://www.hamster-care.com/turkish_hamster.html
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = April 19, 2011}}</ref>
. The population of the Turkish Hamster is said to be declining in the wild, yet this hamster is often used in [[Animal testing|laboratory testing]].
Turkish Hamsters have a life span of approximately two years and are solitary, [[Nocturnality|nocturnal]] animals who practice [[Hibernation|hibernation]] <ref name="Pet Web Site">{{Cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Turkish Hamster
| work = Pet Web Site
| publisher =
| date =
| url = http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/turkish_hamsters.htm
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = April 19, 2011}}</ref>
. They are reported to be more aggressive than other members of the [[Cricetidae|Cricetidae]] Family <ref name="Hamster-Care"/> and are tan and dark, sandy brown in color. This coloration gives the Turkish Hamster camouflage in its native habitat. Like all hamsters, the Turkish Hamster has cheek pouches that allow it to carry large amounts of food at one time <ref name="TrekNature"/>.



• '''Habitat and Burrowing Behavior'''

Hamsters are found in the wild throughout Europe and Asia and are considered to be extremely adaptable, living in scrublands, sand dunes, desert steppes and farmlands <ref name="Types of Hamsters">{{Cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Types of Hamsters
| work = About Breeding Knowledge
| publisher =
| date =
| url = http://www.fredbreeding.com/uncatagorized/types-of-hamsters.html/
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = April 19, 2011}}</ref>.
The land in which the Turkish Hamster lives is extremely dry and open, with fairly little vegetation aside from grass. Turkish hamsters usually live between 1,000 and 2,200 meters above sea level, though some have been found both above and below this range <ref name="IUCN RedList"/>. This hamster burrows in the ground for shelter, and its [[Burrow|burrows]] can be anywhere from 20 inches to 6 feet below the ground surface <ref name="IUCN RedList"/>. These burrows are complex, consisting of several tunnels leading to separate cells for nesting, food, and waste <ref name="IUCN RedList"/>.
Turkish Hamster burrows are well-enough equipped for the hamsters to hibernate for anywhere between 4 and 10 months <ref name="Hamster-Care"/>, sometimes sleeping for 30 days at a time, though usually waking weekly for a day or two of activity <ref name="Pet Web Site"/>.



• '''Diet'''

Turkish hamsters have a fairly varied diet, subsisting primarily on grains and herbs. They do eat insects on occasion and store roots and leaves in their burrows for hibernation. As Turkish Hamsters often live near and among farmlands, they often eat human crops and are considered a pest <ref name="IUCN RedList"/>.



• '''Population and Endangerment'''

The Turkish Hamster is a rare species, but is the most widespread of the [[Cricetidae|Cricetidae]] family. Its ability to live in a variety of environments means that the Turkish Hamster often lives on farmlands, and is seen as a pest. Because the Turkish Hamster is looked on as a nuisance by farmers in its area of habitation, the population of the Turkish Hamster is in rapid decline <ref name="IUCN RedList"/>. In 1996, the Turkish Hamster was categorized as an animal with the lowest risk of extinction, but due to cases of direct poisoning by farmers, the Turkish Hamster is now [[Near Threatened|near threatened]] <ref name="IUCN RedList"/>. More data is needed to understand the population decline of the Turkish Hamster, but steps must be taken to prevent this species from further population decline.



• '''Reproduction'''

Turkish Hamsters are weaned from their mothers after three weeks of nursing. After eight weeks of age, female Turkish Hamsters are sexually mature, but male Turkish Hamsters do not mature until six months of age <ref name="Pet Web Site"/>. Turkish Hamsters have two to three litters per year, with four to twenty young per litter—ten on average, and pregnancy lasts approximately 17 days <ref name="IUCN RedList"/>. The two main breeding seasons of the Turkish Hamster are Spring and Fall, when there are approximately 15-17 hours of daylight per day <ref name="Pet Web Site"/>.



• '''Relationship to other Hamsters'''

All wild hamsters are solitary creatures and are generally aggressive; as small creatures, wild hamsters must use aggression to gain an edge in their habitat. Turkish Hamsters are most closely related to the Syrian Hamster and the Golden Hamster, and together these hamsters make up the entirety of the Crecitidae Family. The Turkish Hamster is considered to be the most aggressive of the three, but this could be because the other two varieties of Crecitidae have been [[Domestication|domesticated]] <ref name="Types of Hamsters"/>.



• '''Turkish Hamsters as Pets'''

Turkish Hamsters are not generally kept as pets due to their apparent aggression, but the Syrian Hamster and Golden Hamster, the closest relatives of the Turkish Hamster, are extremely common in pet stores all across the world. The domestication of the hamster was a fairly recent development; in 1930, a family of Syrian hamsters was domesticated, and this was the first instance of hamster domestication in history. Since then, other varieties of hamster have been domesticated, but only five of the eighteen varieties—the [[Campbell's dwarf hamster|Russian Dwarf Hamster]], the [[Djungarian hamster|Winter White Russian Hamster]], the [[Roborovski hamster|Roborovski Hamster]], the [[Golden hamster|Golden Hamster]], and the [[Chinese hamster|Chinese Hamster]]—have been domesticated and are sold in pet shops <ref name="Types of Hamsters"/>. Other varieties of hamster remain in the wild, and Turkish Hamsters are often used in laboratory experiments.


The photo on this page was taken by photographer Sara Spildener.
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Super family Muroidea. Pp. 894-1531 ''in'' Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore..


<references/>
==External links==

*[http://www.petwebsite.com/turkish.htm The Turkish hamster]


{{Hamster}}
{{Hamster}}

Revision as of 06:40, 23 April 2011

Turkish Hamster
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Rodentia
Superfamily:
Muroidea
Family:
Cricetidae
Subfamily:
Cricetinae
Genus:
Mesocricetus
Species:
M. brandti
Binomial name
Mesocricetus brandti
(Nehring, 1898)

• Overview and Physical Description

The Turkish Hamster (Mesocricetus brandti), also referred to as Brandt’s Hamster, The Azerbaijani Hamster or Avurtlak [2], is a species of hamster native to Turkey, Armenia and other surrounding nations [3]. The Turkish Hamster, first catalogued in 1878, is a fairly close relative of the Syrian Hamster and the Golden Hamster, though far less is known about it, and it does not seem to be kept as a pet [4] . The population of the Turkish Hamster is said to be declining in the wild, yet this hamster is often used in laboratory testing. Turkish Hamsters have a life span of approximately two years and are solitary, nocturnal animals who practice hibernation [5] . They are reported to be more aggressive than other members of the Cricetidae Family [4] and are tan and dark, sandy brown in color. This coloration gives the Turkish Hamster camouflage in its native habitat. Like all hamsters, the Turkish Hamster has cheek pouches that allow it to carry large amounts of food at one time [2].


• Habitat and Burrowing Behavior

Hamsters are found in the wild throughout Europe and Asia and are considered to be extremely adaptable, living in scrublands, sand dunes, desert steppes and farmlands [6]. The land in which the Turkish Hamster lives is extremely dry and open, with fairly little vegetation aside from grass. Turkish hamsters usually live between 1,000 and 2,200 meters above sea level, though some have been found both above and below this range [3]. This hamster burrows in the ground for shelter, and its burrows can be anywhere from 20 inches to 6 feet below the ground surface [3]. These burrows are complex, consisting of several tunnels leading to separate cells for nesting, food, and waste [3]. Turkish Hamster burrows are well-enough equipped for the hamsters to hibernate for anywhere between 4 and 10 months [4], sometimes sleeping for 30 days at a time, though usually waking weekly for a day or two of activity [5].


• Diet

Turkish hamsters have a fairly varied diet, subsisting primarily on grains and herbs. They do eat insects on occasion and store roots and leaves in their burrows for hibernation. As Turkish Hamsters often live near and among farmlands, they often eat human crops and are considered a pest [3].


• Population and Endangerment

The Turkish Hamster is a rare species, but is the most widespread of the Cricetidae family. Its ability to live in a variety of environments means that the Turkish Hamster often lives on farmlands, and is seen as a pest. Because the Turkish Hamster is looked on as a nuisance by farmers in its area of habitation, the population of the Turkish Hamster is in rapid decline [3]. In 1996, the Turkish Hamster was categorized as an animal with the lowest risk of extinction, but due to cases of direct poisoning by farmers, the Turkish Hamster is now near threatened [3]. More data is needed to understand the population decline of the Turkish Hamster, but steps must be taken to prevent this species from further population decline.


• Reproduction

Turkish Hamsters are weaned from their mothers after three weeks of nursing. After eight weeks of age, female Turkish Hamsters are sexually mature, but male Turkish Hamsters do not mature until six months of age [5]. Turkish Hamsters have two to three litters per year, with four to twenty young per litter—ten on average, and pregnancy lasts approximately 17 days [3]. The two main breeding seasons of the Turkish Hamster are Spring and Fall, when there are approximately 15-17 hours of daylight per day [5].


• Relationship to other Hamsters

All wild hamsters are solitary creatures and are generally aggressive; as small creatures, wild hamsters must use aggression to gain an edge in their habitat. Turkish Hamsters are most closely related to the Syrian Hamster and the Golden Hamster, and together these hamsters make up the entirety of the Crecitidae Family. The Turkish Hamster is considered to be the most aggressive of the three, but this could be because the other two varieties of Crecitidae have been domesticated [6].


• Turkish Hamsters as Pets

Turkish Hamsters are not generally kept as pets due to their apparent aggression, but the Syrian Hamster and Golden Hamster, the closest relatives of the Turkish Hamster, are extremely common in pet stores all across the world. The domestication of the hamster was a fairly recent development; in 1930, a family of Syrian hamsters was domesticated, and this was the first instance of hamster domestication in history. Since then, other varieties of hamster have been domesticated, but only five of the eighteen varieties—the Russian Dwarf Hamster, the Winter White Russian Hamster, the Roborovski Hamster, the Golden Hamster, and the Chinese Hamster—have been domesticated and are sold in pet shops [6]. Other varieties of hamster remain in the wild, and Turkish Hamsters are often used in laboratory experiments.


The photo on this page was taken by photographer Sara Spildener.

References

  1. ^ Template:IUCN2008 Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of near threatened
  2. ^ a b "Mesocricetus brandti - Turkish Hamster". TrekNature. Retrieved April 19, 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Mesocricetus brandti". IUCN RedList. Retrieved April 19, 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Turkish Hamster". Hamster-Care. Retrieved April 19, 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d "Turkish Hamster". Pet Web Site. Retrieved April 19, 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ a b c "Types of Hamsters". About Breeding Knowledge. Retrieved April 19, 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)


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