Circle of life: the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) adaptations to the urban environment

Abstract

Traditionally, urbanization has been seen as a negative phenomenon for biota. However, changes in the environmental parameters induced by urbanization might be favorable for some species. Over the past half‐century, the common hamster has actively populated cities, establishing populations in some European, Russian and Kazakhstan cities. Based on integrative methods, we investigated free‐range common hamsters inhabiting Simferopol from 2015 to 2018 to reveal possible adaptations to the urbanized environment across several parameters, including lifespan, hibernation period, reproductive activity and body mass. Results show that in urban areas, the common hamster demonstrates an extremely short hibernation period compared to other localities, possibly due to enhanced food resources from urban forestry (walnuts, locus and hazelnut), allowing the species to start breeding very early (February) and finish as late as October. We present the first evidence of polyandry for this species: mating of receptive females with several males and subsequent confirmation of multiple paternity. Despite high reproductive potential, the lifespan of the common hamster in urban conditions is generally very short (less than 1 year). We speculate that in the process of synurbization, the common hamster's innate plasticity across many life history traits permits it to successfully colonize throughout a wide range of habitats, with the ability to form novel adaptations to urban environments.

Hibernation Records on the Incisor Surface in the Turkish Hamster (Mesocricetus brandti) (Rodentia, Cricetidae)

“…At the same time, the duration of normothermia bouts usually does not exceed 24 hours. During arousals, the Common hamster goes out of its burrow and feeds (Surov et al, 2019). It is established neither for the Turkish nor for Ciscaucasian hamsters.…”

Phylogeography of the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus): paleoclimatic reconstructions of Late Pleistocene colonization

“…Current declines in such circumstances in wild habitats and growing synurbization of hamsters in some regions indicate a leading role of anthropogenic activities in this process (Surov et al. 2019).…”

Influence of landscape transformation and anxiety factor on the distribution of burrows of the Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus L., 1758) (Rodentia: Cricetidae) in the conditions of the park zone of the city of Simferopol

“…Юрия Гагарина (44.97º с.ш., 34.10º в.д. ), исследовали различные формы жизнедеятельности обыкновенного хомяка (Surov et al, 2019). Одним из центральных аспектов исследования был анализ распределения и количества нор, что косвенно отражает численность популяции и особенности использования пространства.…”