Hamsters in the city: A study on the behaviour of a population of common hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) in urban environment

Abstract

Animals in urban environments face challenging situations and have to cope with human activities. This study investigated the ecology and behaviour of a population of European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) living in the city centre of Vienna (Austria). We recorded the surface activities of 35 hamsters in May 2015. Each focal animal was observed for 15 minutes, and a total of 66 focal samples were analysable. As a prey species in an environment teeming with human activities, we predicted a high level of vigilance by the hamsters. The results show that while animals dedicated a lot of time to vigilance, most of their time was spent foraging. The study also explores whether the frequency of vigilance behaviours differ between males and females. We found that vigilance behaviours were expressed in a different manner by males and females. Finally, we investigated the distribution of the burrows on green spaces depending on proximity to trees and on noise levels. We found a biased distribution of burrows, with a spatial preference for location protected by the vegetation and distant to noise sources. Although burrows were located preferentially under vegetation cover, levels of noise did not determine their positions. Moreover, this species does not respond to disturbances like daily urban noises, probably due to habituation. The common hamster is an endangered species; our results lead to a greater knowledge of its behaviour in a persistent urban population.

Hamster (Cricetus cricetus) and ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) in the metropolitan area of Vienna, Austria: Urban development vs. species protection

“…South of the Danube, the largest populations are documented in the 10th district (Favoriten with Laaerberg and Oberlaa, 750 animals), in the 11th district (Central Cemetery, 1000 animals), and in the 12th district (Meidling Cemetery, 150 animals). In Favoriten, the C. cricetus population on the grounds of the clinic Favoriten, the former Kaiser-Franz-Josef hospital, is particularly well documented (Flamand et al, 2019). The population sizes mentioned (Table A.3) are only rough estimates because the hamster populations are subject to annual fluctuations and developed differently from region to region during the period under consideration 2000-2023.…”

“…For example, C. cricetus also occurs on pastures, arable land, field edges, fallow bushes, but also on roadsides and railway embankments (Weinhold, 2008). Human-made habitats include gardens, orchards, and habitats in urban environments such as cemeteries (Feoktistova et al, 2013) or green spaces between multi-storey residential buildings (Franceschini and Millesi, 2001; Flamand et al, 2019). In these habitats, weeds are the predominant food source (Tissier et al, 2019).…”

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

“…Although the species lives in temperate grasslands (steppe and forest-steppe), it is often found in human transformed landscapes, such as agriculture lands (Nechay 2000). Moreover, the common hamster started to rapidly colonize some cities in Western Europe (Schmelzer & Millesi 2008;Feoktistova et al 2013;Flamand et al 2019), in Eastern Europe ( Čanády 2013;Feoktistova et al 2016;Buczek 2019), and Kazakhstan (Feoktistova et al 2020).…”

“…2013; Flamand et al. 2019), in Eastern Europe (Čanády 2013; Feoktistova et al. 2016; Buczek 2019), and Kazakhstan (Feoktistova et al.…”