European regional assessment: Critically Endangered (CR)
EU 27 regional assessment: Critically Endangered (CR)

This is a protected species in almost every European country, including the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, several regions of Russia (Belgorod, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Orel and Kalmykia). The subpopulations in  Hungary and in some parts of Romania populations are considered vital to the overall survival of the population, yet even there subpopulation declines and local extinctions have happened. In all other EU countries, the European Hamster faces a critical decline. Most European subpopulations are rapidly declining, and the causes of this are not understood yet. This species is listed as Critically Endangered under criterion A3c both in Europe and the EU27 region in view of the rapid decline in the reproduction rate of the Common Hamster which indicates a suspected population reduction of 50% per year throughout large portions of the species distribution (equivalent to a reduction of at least 99% over the next ten years). This decline is ongoing and is likely to result in the extinction of this species, projected to occur within 2050 if nothing changes.

In Europe, this species occurs from Belgium, the Netherlands and northern France in the west to Russia in the east, and from northern Germany, Poland and Russia in the north to Bulgaria in the south (Panteleyev 1998, Weinhold 1999). It is found from sea level up to 2,200 m (Sludskiy et al. 1977). Only extant regions are mapped.

Cricetus cricetus has a large global range, extending from Western Europe, through central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Kazakhstan, reaching as far east as the Yenisey River (Asian Russia).

The Common Hamster has undergone severe range and population declines in western and central Europe, and it now has a highly fragmented distribution in these areas. Subpopulation extinctions have occurred in several countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany.

Severe contractions occurred in Ukraine (Rusin et al. 2013) and Poland (Ziomek and Banazsek 2007). In Belarus, the species probably went extinct (A. Vintchevsky and S. Shokalo pers. comm. 2022). In Russia, the contraction happened in the western part of the range. In some parts of Hungary and Romania, the Common Hamster remains common, though population declines have been recorded recently (Cserkesz et al. 2020). In Bulgaria, the hamster was recorded for the last time in 2014 with no recent occurrences despite intensive surveys (N. Nedyalkov pers. comm. 2022). In Germany alone, the recent contraction covered over 42% of the extent of occurrence (EOO) (U. Weinhold, pers. communication).

Originally, the habitat of the species was fertile steppes and grasslands, but it has successfully spread into a variety of anthropogenic habitats including meadows, croplands (especially cereals), field edges, road verges and scrubby fallow areas on farms. In eastern parts of its range, it is found quite often in gardens and orchards near to human habitation. It is more abundant in these man-made habitats than it is in natural grassland. It prefers relatively deep, heavy soils, in which it digs extensive burrows. Its diet mainly consists of the green parts of plants and seeds, supplemented by invertebrates and, occasionally, small vertebrates. At high densities, it can be an agricultural pest (Nechay 2000).

The development of intensified farming (early crops, decline in alfalfa, use of pesticides and herbicides) results in a continuing decline of the habitat of this species.

Its decline in Western Europe has been attributed to a combination of persecution and agricultural intensification. It was trapped and poisoned to prevent damage to crops, and this practice continues in some parts of the hamster's range (although not in the western part). In Hungary, it continues to be trapped for the fur trade. Agricultural intensification, specifically the loss of perennial crops and small uncultivated patches of land, the introduction of early crops, and the increased use of pesticides, has had a negative impact on many hamster populations. Climate change may pose more threats to the species in the near future. Many hamster localities were damaged with residential, commercial and road constructions, including the construction of road S7 north of Krakow in Poland in 2019, construction of an industrial site in Saxony in 2001, construction of a factory in Bavaria in 2009 and further road construction in Bavaria in 2018 to be named as few such examples. All of these cases led to local extinctions of hamsters, including total extinction of hamsters from Saxony.

In the past it was a game species in Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Russia, where it was trapped for fur until the 1990s. Only in Hungary has hunting of hamsters continued (Cserkesz et al. 2020).

It is listed in Appendix II of the Bern Convention and Annex IV of the EU Habitats and Species Directive.

Specific conservation recommendations to improve the status of the species in Western Europe are detailed in Stubbe and Stubbe (1998) and Nechay (2000). These focus on subsidising farmers to manage agricultural habitats appropriately and minimising the use of pesticides.

Reintroductions have been carried out in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Ukraine. Regular monitoring is taking place only in EU countries, in Ukraine and Russia monitoring is only partial and does not cover all range of the hamster. European hamster is listed in the Red books of Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania and several regions of Russia (north-western regions).

Further research into the population, habitat and threats to this species are also recommended.