Mesocricetus raddei

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	CRICETIDAE

Scientific Name:

Mesocricetus raddei

Species Authority:

(Nehring, 1894)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Ciscaucasian Hamster

Synonym/s:

Cricetus nigricans Nehring, 1894 subspecies raddei

Mesocricetus nigriculus Nehring, 1898

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Tsytsulina, K.
Reviewer/s:	Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Temple, H. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Abundant, with stable population trend. Important crop pest.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Russia, dry steppes along the northern slopes of Caucasus from Dagestan to Don River and Sea of Azov. Known only from one record in Georgia.
Countries:	Native: Georgia; Russian Federation
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Abundant, population is stable. Significant crop pest.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Inhabits dry cereal and cereal and herb steppes, agricultural places, especially forest lines between fields. Avoids callows and real forests. Active mostly in dusk and night, but in spring and summer also diurnal. Makes deep burrows with one ore several exits. Hibernates from 4 to 6 months depending on the altitude and winter temperatures. In spring and beginning of summer feeds on green herbal parts, in autumn switches to seeds, beens, and root vegetables. Makes supplies for winter up to 16 kg. In mountains reproduces usually twice a year, in lowlands 3-4 times per year. Litter size is 4 to 24 young, 12 on average.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Inhabits dry cereal and cereal and herb steppes, agricultural places, especially forest lines between fields. Avoids callows and real forests. Active mostly in dusk and night, but in spring and summer also diurnal. Makes deep burrows with one ore several exits. Hibernates from 4 to 6 months depending on the altitude and winter temperatures. In spring and beginning of summer feeds on green herbal parts, in autumn switches to seeds, beens, and root vegetables. Makes supplies for winter up to 16 kg. In mountains reproduces usually twice a year, in lowlands 3-4 times per year. Litter size is 4 to 24 young, 12 on average.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats. Important agricultural pest.

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats. Important agricultural pest.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Doesn't require any conservation measures.

Conservation Actions:

Doesn't require any conservation measures.

Citation:	Tsytsulina, K. 2008. Mesocricetus raddei. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2013.
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