| Golden hamster | |
|---|---|
| |
| A female pet hamster | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Cricetinae |
| Genus: | Mesocricetus |
| Species: | M. auratus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mesocricetus auratus Waterhouse, 1839
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Cricetus auratus | |
The golden hamster or Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is a rodent belonging to the hamster subfamily, Cricetinae.[2] Their natural geographical range is in an arid region of northern Syria and southern Turkey. Their numbers have been declining in the wild due to a loss of habitat from agriculture and deliberate elimination by humans.[1] Thus, wild golden hamsters are now considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[3] However, captive breeding programs are well established, and captive-bred golden hamsters are often kept as small house pets. They are also used as scientific research animals.
Syrian hamsters are larger than many of the dwarf hamsters kept as pocket pets (up to five times larger), though the wild European hamster exceeds Syrian hamsters in size.
- ^ a b Kennerley, R.; Middleton, K. (2022). "Mesocricetus auratus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T13219A107411865. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ Musser, G. G.; Carleton, M. D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1044. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – Golden Hamster". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 11 April 2019.