29 December 2023

Hamster in Turkey

Does anyone know what Hamster species this might be? Or indeed is it a hamster at all? Photographed in Southwestern Turkey at around 1000m in saline steppe. Colonial. Doesn’t seem to have the dark markings I would associate with brandti the hamster generally known from this area

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Ian Greentours

Ian is the co-founder of Greentours and since graduating in Ecology, has led over one two hundred and fifty holidays in various fields of natural history, and has organised many, many more. My interests and knowledge extend to most areas of the natural world. I am equally happy among the spring bulbs and alpine flowers of the Middle-eastern mountains, and the biodiverse forests, savannahs and mountains of Asia, Africa and the Neotropics and the great variety of mammals, birds and butterflies therein, but most of all I love nothing better than wondering around with spotlight all night looking for mammals!

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5 Comments

  • 31 December 2023
    JanEbr

    Grey Dwarf Hamster I guess. There is really no other rodent I know in Turkey that would even remotely fit.

    1
  • 2 January 2024
    Tim Meschke

    This is clearly a vole, but I’m not that knowledgeable about the species occurring there. Maybe something like Microtus socialis/guentheri.

    1
  • 2 January 2024
    vnsankar

    I don’t think this is a hamster at all. Looks like one of the Microtus voles that occur in steppes throughout the Irano-Anatolian plateau. Cricetulus migratorius (Gray Dwarf Hamster) is nocturnal and grayish, with smaller ears.

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  • 3 January 2024
    Ian Greentours

    Thanks everyone. I think I need someone to help me on the external differences between hamsters and voles? Any help there please. Looking at the field guides again I can see the ears look larger and differently placed on the head in Mesocricetus and this therefore does look more vole like. Would the sharpness of differentiation between the paler underbody and the rest of the fur be a help. Any pointers gratefully received. The animals were living in a very large colony so that points also to one of the Social Voles – guentheri? Grey Dwarf Hamsters are not social as far as read.

  • 3 January 2024
    JanEbr

    Haha I would never guess that this is a Microtus, the snout is completely out of place for me. But I always ever see them from the top! Social Vole is a good suggestive common name, but as far as I know, more different Microtuses are colonial in Turkey. They are a nightmare to ID and their ranges heavily overlap, I have several down as “it’s this or that”.

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