Turkish hamster Mesocricetus brandti Near threatened
Where the Turkish hamster lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.
Pin and shaded countries are approximate. The pin is a representative wild-collected museum specimen (a central record among 19 open-licence GBIF records – few open-licence observations were available), not an official range. Method · Records on GBIF · See mice, rats & other rodents on the world map
| Scientific name | Mesocricetus brandti |
|---|---|
| Group | Mice, rats & other rodents |
| Status | Near threatened (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Found in | 1 country |
| Continents | Asia |
| Class | Mammal |
| Order | Rodentia |
| Family | Cricetidae |
Where does the Turkish hamster live?
Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Turkish hamster in 1 country or territory across Asia.
Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.
Is the Turkish hamster endangered?
The Turkish hamster’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Near threatened” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.
What kind of animal is the Turkish hamster?
The Turkish hamster (Mesocricetus brandti) is a mammal in the order Rodentia and the family Cricetidae, genus Mesocricetus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)
About the Turkish hamster
The Turkish hamster (Mesocricetus brandti), also referred to as Brandt's hamster, Azerbaijani hamster, or avurtlak, is a species of hamster native to Turkey, Azerbaijan and other surrounding nations. The Turkish hamster, first catalogued in 1878, is a fairly close relative of the Syrian or golden hamster, though far less is known about it, and it is rarely kept as a pet. 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 lifespans of about two years and are solitary, nocturnal animals, which hibernate.
They are reported to be more aggressive than other members of the family Cricetidae. They are tan and dark, sandy brown in color. Like all hamsters, the Turkish hamster has cheek pouches that allow it to carry large amounts of food at one time.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Turkish hamster (revision 1361367762), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q925103 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).
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