Mesocricetus auratus
It occurs worldwide as a pet and research animal. It occurs in the wild only in Syria and less so in eastern Turkey, in the savannahs, in grassy areas and in agricultural areas.
Basic data
Length without tail: 25cm 13.5 cm, length of tail: 1.5 cm, weight: 100-150 g. Like many hamsters, hamsters have a golden blunt snout, a broad face, relatively small eyes, large ears and a short tail. The wild form of the golden hamster has a golden fur, the color of which on the abdomen changes to gray or white; some wild individuals also have a dark spot on the head and a black stripe from the cheek to the top of the neck. The reared forms of the golden hamster can have various other colors. They live in nature for an average of 1.5 to 2 years, in captivity they can live up to twice as long.
Food
golden hamster is an omnivore. In nature, they eat mainly seeds, nuts and insects (ants, flies, cockroaches, rattlesnakes). During breeding, it is recommended to give them, in addition to seeds, also green fodder, vegetables, some fruit, dried garnels, flour worms, cheese and centrifuged yogurt.
Way of life
They are very solitary animals that meticulously protect and mark their territory and are very aggressive towards other members of the same species (except during the mating season). They dig burrows (to a depth of 2 m), in which they sleep during the day and which they leave only at night, when they go in search of food, which they then accumulate in the burrow.