European hamster

European hamster ( Cricetus cricetus )

Called The Common Hamster ( Cricetus cricetus ), also European hamster is a rodent ( Rodentia ) from the family of Cricetidae ( Cricetidae ) and the subfamily of hamsters ( Cricetinae ).

Features

Field hamster achieve a head-body length of 20 to 34 centimeters, what still is a 4 to 6 inches long, almost hairless tail. The weight of adult animals varies 200-650 grams. Males are usually larger and heavier than females. The hamster is considered the most colorful European fur. The coat color is variable: the most common form is a yellow-brown top and a dark, almost black bottom. Are located on the flanks of several white spots on the cheek, before and behind the front legs. The region around the muzzle and around the eyes is colored reddish brown, the feet and the tip of the nose are white again. But there are also melanistic ( almost completely black ) and strikingly bright field hamster. The undercoat is uniformly gray. Like all hamsters, they have well-developed cheek pouches, the feet are wide and provided with well-developed claws.

Distribution and habitat

The distribution of the common hamster ranges from Belgium on Central and Eastern Europe to the Russian Altai region and northwestern China. Originally, the common hamster was native to the steppes of Eastern Europe and spread in the wake of agricultural intensification to Western Europe. Archaeologists found 2000 year old hamster skeletons in the Rhine- Neckar region.

Way of life

They are typical bottom dwellers and occur almost only in loess and clay soils before. They produce deep, branched burrows that contain a living room and a pantry, both deep in the winter construction of up to one meter. The Build of always solitary males are usually smaller. Typical of every Hamsterbau are vertical case tubes and usually two to three flat extending inputs. Through their burrowing activity as scratching graves or by the fact that they accumulate humus of the soil surface, they have a certain share in the formation of black earth. - The striking counterstain (back brighter than belly! ) Is plausibly explained by the fact that a hamster when he can not escape, is erected for the defense: the black ventral side imitates the muzzle of a larger predator with four white paws as " fangs ".

Preferred food of the hamster are grains and legumes, clover, potatoes, beets and corn, sometimes he carries up to five kilograms grains stock in his storeroom; to survive the winter in its construction, a hamster needs at least 2 kg of diet. Field hamsters tend to cannibalism; Reasons for this may be lack of food or overpopulation.

The European hamster is a mainly crepuscular and nocturnal territorial loners. Each animal has its own construction, it defends against conspecifics. After waking from hibernation ( in Braunschweig late April to early May), he begins with the installation or repair of Sommerbaue whose corridors and chambers are usually less than a meter below the surface. Soon after, the lasting until August mating season begins.

Field hamster and human

Their occurrence is limited in Central Europe on cultivated field areas and their border zones. Field hamsters were in parts of East Germany until around 1980 so frequently that premiums for hunted animals were exposed ( for recovery of hides see also hamster fur ).

1801 writes Gerhard Heinrich Buse this in " The whole of the action ," Part I., Volume IV:

This is caught and partly in the early years when they are barely emerged from their winter stays, because as their hides are the most beautiful, in traps or in pots that can dig into the earth, and partly in autumn, by digging, which called on the hamster graves happens that for some time have their food from it. The government has however necessary to have on these people a watchful eye by often only take the grain from the magazines of the hamster, and run the hamsters in order to reap the following year again to where they have not sown.

In the 1950s, was in the district of Magdeburg, the hamster fur advent yearly 1.1 to 1.2 Millionen skins. On the beet beats the hamster had to be immediately caught by the rising of the beet, on the first day were already experience, 10 m² eroded by the construction around. Until 1975, the hamster were also gassed in Aschersleben. Since the hamster fur represented an important economic products, the tobacco product experts of the GDR tried it, instead of fumigation to intensify the hamster fishing by the professional activity hamster trap and ensure that the rights of the skins. At the time, however, had already caused a significant decline of the fur volume noticeable, taking inspiration was not sure what proportion was attributable to increased fishing efforts with the modified cultivation methods (enlargement of fields, industrialization of harvesting ). 1979 25.400 skins were delivered in a circle Staßfurt, circuit Oschersleben in 8500, in the district of Halberstadt 31,800, in a circle Haldensleben 5500 and in the circle Schönebeck 15,000 skins. It has been said that the significant differences in catches were not simply explained by the fact that the hamster "wanders", the figures should in future be offset by increased fishing effort.

Through the industrial field management of common hamster is now threatened with extinction in many parts of Germany. There are now, as in Alsace, the Netherlands or Germany, breeding programs to select and Release hamsters.

Because of its lively nature and habit to lay in stocks, the European hamster very early became a symbol of quick-tempered, greedy and stingy people. See also: hoard.

The European hamster is a protected according to Annex IV point a ) species of Article 12 of Directive 92/43/EEC (Fauna - Flora -Habitat Directive ), known as the " Habitats Directive " or " Habitats Directive ". As a strictly protected species it is also called in the Bern Convention (Annex II).

Field hamster population can thus the design, construction and / or development eg stop of commercial areas, roads, or other roads.