The European Hamster is the only species of Hamster which is found in some parts of western Europe.
These cute little animals are found in some parts and a wide part of Asia.
The European Hamster was in one of the episodes of Seven Worlds, One Planet - a nature documentary which was released last year and narrated by David Attenborough.
What Is The Scientific Name For European Hamsters?
Their scientific name is Cricetus cricetus.
What Other Names Are These Cute Animals Called?
These cute animals are also known by a variety of other names.
These names include:
The Common Hamster
The Black-Bellied Hamster
The Eurasian Hamster
What Are Female European Hamsters Called?
Female European Hamsters are called a Doe.
What Are Male European Hamsters Called?
Male European Hamsters are called a Buck.
What Are Baby European Hamsters Called?
Baby European Hamsters are called Pups.
What Class Do European Hamsters Belong To?
European Hamsters belong to the Mammalia class.
In other words, European Hamsters are mammals.
What Family Do These Adorable Animals Belong To?
These adorable animals belong to a family called the Cricetidae. The Cricetidae family consists of several different types of animals. These different types of animals include Lemmings and Voles.
What Order Do They Belong to?
The order that these animals belong to is Rodentia.
In other words, European Hamsters are rodents.
What Is The Conservation Status Of These Animals?
Just today, it has been announced that European Hamsters are now critically endangered. Therefore, their conservation status is that of being critically endangered.
What Is Their Population Trend?
Sadly, the population of European Hamsters is declining today. It's uncertain what their, but it is thought that the European Hamster is one step away from extinction.
What Kind Of Ecosystems Do They Live In?
These cute animals live in two main different ecosystems: grasslands and shrublands.
What Is Their Mating Like?
Like many animals in the Northern Hemisphere, European Hamsters mate during the spring. They also mate during the summer. The mating seasons for these animals is between April and August.
Female European Hamsters have been giving birth to about 20 baby Hamsters every time they give birth and usually give birth twice a year. However, now that has changed. One of the major reasons why European Hamsters are now endangered is because their reproductions levels have fallen so low.
The reproduction levels for European Hamsters has now more than halved. They are now only giving birth to 5 or 6 baby Hamsters every time the females are pregnant.
Things like pollution, destruction of their habitats and global warming, may all be reasons why European Hamster reproduction levels have fell so drastically and are now threatened with extinction today.
A female European Hamster has a short pregnancy. They are pregnant for less than a month. A female European Hamster is pregnant for about 20 days before giving birth.
What The European Hamster Tells Us About Other Species
The European Hamster tells us, that it is not just species that are slowly declining that are at risk of extinction, but common species too - like Hamsters - which are also at risk of extinction.
Before the European Hamster was reclassified as critically endangered, these animals were classified as being of least concern - which is pretty astounding, as a species classed as being of least concern is the furthest classification you can get in wildlife conservation from being extinct.
The reclassification of the European Hamsters conservation status tells us that any species can quickly go from being of least concern to being on the brink of extinction.
Preserving our natural world is the only way to prevent this from happening to other species.
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