Brandt's hamster

Hamsters are found in the wild throughout Europe and Asia and are considered to be extremely adaptable, living in scrublands, sand dunes, desert steppes and farmlands. The land where the Turkish hamster lives is extremely dry and open, with fairly little vegetation aside from grasses. Turkish hamsters usually live between 1,000 and 2,200 meters above sea level. This hamster burrows in the ground for shelter, and its burrows can be 20 inches to 6 feet below the ground surface. These burrows are complex, consisting of several tunnels leading to separate cells for nesting, food, and waste. Turkish hamster burrows are well-enough equipped for the hamsters to hibernate for four to 10 months (though sources do differ on this point), sometimes sleeping for 30 days at a time, though usually waking weekly for a day or two of activity.

Turkish hamsters have fairly varied diets, subsisting primarily on grains and herbs. They do eat insects on occasion and store roots and leaves in their burrows for hibernation. As Turkish hamsters often live near and among farmlands, they often eat human crops and are considered a pest.