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What the sources say

Golden HamsterMesocricetus auratus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Golden Hamster profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 49 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Mesocricetus auratus (golden hamster). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysburrower
The source saysReferring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing.Note: tagline
The page sayswith reports from eastern Turkey
The source saysGolden hamsters have also been reported in areas of Eastern Turkey.Note: stats.habitat
The page sayspets and lab animals worldwide
The source saysGolden hamsters are ubiquitous worldwide as pets and research animals.Note: stats.habitat
The page saysSeeds, grains, nuts and insects
The source saysGolden hamsters are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, nuts, and insectsNote: stats.diet; grains from 'seeds, grains, and nuts'
The page saysA 16-day pregnancy, the shortest among eutherian (placental) mammals
The source saysGolden hamsters have a gestation period of 16 days, the shortest gestation period among eutherian mammals.Note: stats.superpower; 'placental' glosses eutherian
The page saysAn adult golden hamster weighs 100 to 125 g
The source saysadult mass ranging from 100 to 125 g
The page saysis about 13 to 13.5 cm long
The source saysRange length 13 to 13.5 cm
The page saysIts pregnancy lasts 16 days, the shortest among eutherian mammals.
The source saysGolden hamsters have a gestation period of 16 days, the shortest gestation period among eutherian mammals.
The page saysA birth brings 8 to 12 young, born with their eyes closed.
The source saysduring which 8 to 12 young are born. The young are altricial at birth, born with their eyes closed.
The page saysThey open them at 12 to 14 days and are weaned at 19 to 21 days.
The source saysThey first open their eyes at 12 to 14 days of age. Weaning occurs at 19 to 21 days
The page saysFemales are sexually mature at 26 to 30 days on average, males at 42 days.
The source saysAverage age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) 26-30 days Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male) 42 days
The page saysIn the wild, a golden hamster lives 1.5 to 2 years on average.
The source saysGolden hamsters have relatively short life spans, 1.5 to 2 years on average.Note: wild: ADW 'Typical lifespan Status: wild 1.5 to 2 years'
The page saysIn captivity a typical life is 2 to 2.5 years
The source saysTypical lifespan Status: captivity 2 to 2.5 years
The page saysWild golden hamsters live mainly on the Aleppo plateau in Syria, with reports from eastern Turkey.
The source saysThe majority of the species' range is encompassed by the Aleppinian plateau in Syria. Golden hamsters have also been reported in areas of Eastern Turkey.Note: Aleppinian plateau = Aleppo plateau
The page saysGolden hamsters are solitary and highly territorial, and they eat seeds, nuts and insects, caching food in the burrow.
The source saysGolden hamsters are solitary and highly territorial.Note: diet in stats claim; caching: 'stores or caches food' / 'gathering food, which they cache in their burrows'
The page sayscaching food in the burrow
The source saysThey spend most of the night gathering food, which they cache in their burrows.
The page saysThey are aggressive toward each other except when mating.
The source saysThey are highly aggressive toward conspecifics except when mating.
The page saysTeeth chattering, a sign of aggression, was recorded in 92 percent of male-to-male meetings.
The source saysTeeth chattering behavior is a sign of aggression. It has been recorded in 92% of male to male interactions observed
The page saysFoxes, mustelids, birds of prey and snakes are among its predators
The source saysGolden hamsters serve as a food source for many different predators, including foxes, mustelids, birds of prey, and snakes.
The page saysit avoids them by sheltering in its burrow and staying alert.
The source saysGolden hamsters avoid predation by seeking shelter in their burrows and through vigilance.
The page saysAnimal Diversity Web says wild populations are restricted to a small area of the Middle East
The source saysWild populations are restricted to a small area of the Middle East.
The page saysdescribes wild golden hamsters as crop pests
The source saysGolden hamsters are considered agricultural pests in the wild.
The page saysBecause golden hamsters are widely used as pets and research animals, it says the species is in no danger of dying out fully. The wild populations are the ones under threat.
The source saysBecause of the wide use of golden hamsters as pets and research animals, the species is in no danger of becoming fully extinct, but wild populations are under threat.
The page saysNot in the wild, where they live alone.
The source saysGolden hamsters are solitary and highly territorial.
The page saysCommunication is mostly by scent: a hamster rubs scent glands on its flanks against surfaces, and the marks can carry information such as kinship.
The source saysGolden hamsters communicate mainly by scent marking
The page saysThe closest measurement between two occupied wild burrows was 118 m.
The source saysThe closest measurement between occupied golden hamster burrows in the wild was 118 m.
The page saysThe mother raises her litter alone, and she may cut its size by cannibalism.
The source saysThe mother alone cares for the young. In some situations, the mother may reduce the size of her litter through cannibalism.
The page saysin the wild this is likely a response to scarce resources, while in a cage it is often a reaction to a disturbance caused by people.
The source saysIn the wild, this is likely a strategy employed in times of limited resources, but in captivity, cannibalism is often a response to some sort of anthropogenic disturbance.
The page saystags: omnivore
The source saysGolden hamsters are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, nuts, and insectsNote: task #976; replaces frugivore
The page saysthe fastest pregnancy of any placental mammal: 16 days from mating to birth
The source saysGolden hamsters have a gestation period of 16 days, the shortest gestation period among eutherian mammals.Note: vibe.reason, task #976

Source
02

Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge database

AnAge entry for Mesocricetus auratus. Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge database.

The page saysA 105 g Syrian burrower
The source saysAdult weight 105 gNote: tagline; 'Syrian' from the Aleppo range, burrower from ADW fossorial
The page saysA database of animal ageing gives an average adult weight of 105 g.
The source saysAdult weight 105 gNote: listed under 'Life history traits (averages)'
The page saysthe ageing database's maximum for captivity is 3.9 years.
The source saysMaximum longevity 3.9 years (captivity)

Source
03

Gattermann et al. 2008

Gattermann et al. (2008). Golden hamsters are nocturnal in captivity but diurnal in nature. Biology Letters.

The page sayskeeps night hours in the lab
The source saysOwing to the extremely consistent nocturnal patterns of activity shown by golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) in the laboratoryNote: tagline
The page sayswild females were active almost only by day
The source saysfemale hamsters in the wild were almost exclusively diurnalNote: tagline; 'almost only by day' for 'almost exclusively diurnal'
The page saysIn the laboratory, the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) keeps such consistent nocturnal hours that it became a prime model animal for studying circadian rhythms
The source saysOwing to the extremely consistent nocturnal patterns of activity shown by golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) in the laboratory, this species is a prime model for studying the mechanisms controlling circadian rhythms.Note: 'such ... that' renders the source's 'Owing to'; circadian gloss is a definition
The page saysFemale hamsters in the wild were almost exclusively diurnal, which means active by day. Lab hamsters are nocturnal.
The source saysIn contrast to laboratory data, we discovered that female hamsters in the wild were almost exclusively diurnal.Note: 'which means active by day' glosses diurnal; lab nocturnality from 'extremely consistent nocturnal patterns ... in the laboratory'
The page saysLab versus wild.
The source saysIn contrast to laboratory data, we discovered that female hamsters in the wild were almost exclusively diurnal.Note: blockquote lead-in; the block keeps 'almost exclusively'
The page saysLab and wild hamsters are the same species, but a result from one may not hold for the other.
The source saysThe differences between laboratory and field resultsNote: framing sentence

Source
04

Gattermann et al. 2001

Gattermann et al. (2001). Notes on the current distribution and the ecology of wild golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Journal of Zoology.

The page saysFarm fields around Aleppo in northern Syria
The source saysMost burrows were found on agricultural fields preferentially on leguminous cultures.Note: stats.habitat; Aleppo and northern Syria from 'near Aleppo' and 'northern Syria'
The page saysA field survey near Aleppo found most burrows on farm fields, especially in legume crops.
The source saysMost burrows were found on agricultural fields preferentially on leguminous cultures.
The page saysBurrows were 36 to 106 cm deep
The source saysBurrow depths ranged from 36 to 106 cm (mean 65 cm).
The page sayswith one vertical entrance leading to a nesting chamber and at least one food chamber.
The source saysTheir structure was simple, consisting of a single vertical entrance (gravity pipe) that proceeded to a nesting chamber and at least one additional food chamber.
The page saysNone of the inhabited burrows held more than one adult.
The source saysNone of the inhabited burrows contained more than one adult.
The page saysOn two expeditions, in September 1997 and March 1999, researchers caught six females and seven males near Aleppo, and one pregnant female gave birth to six pups.
The source saysTwo expeditions were carried out during September 1997 and March 1999 to confirm the current existence of Mesocricetus auratus in northern Syria. Six females and seven males were caught at different sites near Aleppo. One female was pregnant and gave birth to six pups.
The page saysTo confirm that the species still lived wild in northern Syria.
The source saysTwo expeditions were carried out during September 1997 and March 1999 to confirm the current existence of Mesocricetus auratus in northern Syria.
The page saysAll 19 hamsters were moved to Germany, where they and three wild hamsters from the University of Aleppo founded a new breeding stock.
The source saysAll 19 golden hamsters were transferred to Germany and, together with three wild individuals supplied by the University of Aleppo, form a new breeding stock.

Source
05

Kennerley & Middleton 2022

Kennerley & Middleton (2022). Mesocricetus auratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T13219A107411865.

The page saysEndangered
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Endangered (EN).Note: stats.conservationStatus
The page saysThe Red List rates the species Endangered.
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Endangered (EN).

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.