The Romanian Hamster is endemic to Europe, occurring in Romania and Bulgaria. It has a restricted range, but its extent of occurrence is much larger than 20,000 km². The area of occupancy is not known but is suspected to be approaching the 2,000 km² threshold for Vulnerable. The ongoing decline in the number of active localities in Bulgaria meets the threshold for category Endangered A2c, with a population reduction of 50% estimated. However, data is not available for the Romanian range of this species. An overall population decline of 30% is suspected to have occurred within the past 10 years, therefore this species is assessed as Vulnerable A2c.

Mesocricetus newtoni is a European endemic species. Its range is restricted to lowlands (up to 460 m) along the right bank of the lower Danube River in northern Bulgaria and southeastern Romania, Dobrudja (Vohralík 1999). Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is much larger than 20,000 km² and the area of occupancy (AOO) is not known, but it is suspected to be close to 2,000 km².

The Romanian Hamster is uncommon throughout its small range. Population densities fluctuate, but outbreaks are localised and infrequent. Long-term population trends have not been quantified but are believed to be declining. In Romania, the population was estimated at around 3,000 mature individuals (Murariu 1995). Approximately 50% of populations recorded prior to 2000 are no longer active in Bulgaria (N. Nedyalkov, unpublished data).

Relatively recent research suggests that this is a crepuscular species displaying little activity during daylight hours (Simeonovska-Nikolova and Dekov 2013). It is found in relatively dry habitats including barren, rocky steppe and steppe grassland, Medicago, Taraxacum and cereal fields, vineyards, gardens, and scrubby slopes (Vohralík 1999). A potential distribution model also predicts that their range overlaps with Central European mixed forests (Chisamera et al. 2012). Its diet is probably similar to that of other hamster species.

The main threat to this hamster is habitat loss and degradation as a result of intensive agriculture. The agricultural utilisation of abandoned fields and steppe-like habitat is very likely to have a negative impact on the species (V. Vohralik pers. comm. 2006), although the species does inhabit some anthropogenic habitats. In Dobrudja intensive agriculture is ongoing (I. Coroiu pers. comm. 2006), and agricultural intensification may have increased since the accession of Romania in the European Union.

The species is not used or traded.

The species is listed on Appendix II of the Bern Convention and Annex II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive.

Appropriate protection of this species' habitat from intensive farming is needed. Research and monitoring is required to determine population trends in this poorly-known species; if there is evidence of declines, appropriate conservation measures should be instated (Nechay 2000). The species is included on the Red Lists of Romania and Bulgaria and is protected by Romanian legislation. The Romanian Hamster became one of the target species in the LIFE20 NAT/BG/001162 project, which is likely to include an ex-situ element for future reintroductions.