Hamsterdamn

Location: +48° 8’ 41.24" +16° 25’ 17.58"

The European hamster (Cricetus cricetus), also called the Eurasian hamster or black-bellied hamster, is a critically endangered rodent. Weighing 220 g and measuring 20 cm, it can live up to 8 years.

Once widespread across Eurasian grasslands, it was hunted as a pest and for fur, leading to a severe population decline. These hamsters live in lowland farmlands and meadows, digging complex burrows in soft soil. Solitary and crepuscular, they store up to 65 kg of food in underground chambers.

As omnivores, they eat seeds, roots, and insects, and hibernate from October to March, waking every 5–7 days to feed. They can swim by inflating their cheek pouches and sometimes cross large rivers during migrations.

Breeding occurs from April to August, with females giving birth to 2 litters per year of 3–15 young. Gestation lasts 18–20 days, and offspring are weaned at 3 weeks, reaching adult size by 8 weeks. They can reproduce as early as 43 days old.

Threats include habitat loss, poisoning, and fur trapping, particularly in Eastern Europe.