THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
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THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE
A Threatened Symbol of
Biodiversity
In pockets of low-lying farmland in France, a small
rodent is the subject of much controversy, stirring
up tensions between politicians, farmers and
conservationists.
The rodent in question is the Black-bellied hams-
ter. Previously considered a pest, this species has
been formally protected by ministerial decree since
1996, along with the wolf, bear and lynx.
Yet, despite this protection the species has been
in steep decline since 2010, and the disappearance
of this little known species would have a dramatic
impact on the structure of the local ecosystem.
All images © Eric Baccega / naturepl.com
The Black-bellied hamster (Cricetus cri- They live a solitary nocturnal or cre- cetus), also known as the European or puscular life in the wild, and inhabit a Common hamster, is the only member complex system of burrows which can of the Cricetus genus. reach depths of 2 meters. They are much larger than their more They are fiercely territorial and each familiar relative the Syrian hamster, burrow is occupied by one individual, growing to lengths of 25-30cm and with the exception of a mother and her weighing up to 400g. young. The hamsters act as an indicator of good ecological health, as their pres- ence not only provides a food source for foxes, eagles and other predators, but also demonstrates that the habitat is suitable for other small mammals and birds such as partridge and pole- cats.
Distribution & Habitat Native to large areas of Eurasia, the Black-bellied hamster ranges from Belgium to the Altai Moun- tains in Russia. Originally favouring a habitat of fertile steppe and grassland, as human activities encroached on their range hamsters have suc- cessfully spread into man-made environments including mea- dows, croplands and field edges. Globally the population of Black- bellied hamsters is not conside- red to be vulnerable, yet locally in areas of Belgium, France and Ger- many populations are critically endangered.
Deep ploughing and early tillage also pose
Agricultural Conflict
threats to hamsters’ survival.
Many European populations, including that of the Alsace in
France, are now small and fragmented due to historical perse-
cution. The threat to this population is further compounded by
changes in agricultural practice.
Hamsters prefer habitat created by sowing a mix of crops such as
wheat, barley or oats, and perennial legumes such as alfalfa
(lucerne). The maize monoculture, which now occupies 80% of
the agricultural land in the Alsace region causes a number of
problems.
Maize provides very little cover in spring which is when the
hamsters are breeding and at their most active, which
leaves them very vulnerable to predators. Maize
monocultures, while easier for farmers
to manage and harvest, reduce the
amount of habitat suitable for
hamsters.
Lucerne fields are ideal habitat for The evolution of ever more efficient
hamsters, but are no longer techniques for cereal cultivation
financially viable for farmers. also impacts on the hamsters’ sur-
vival, and could lead to local extinc-
tion.
Modern machinery leaves a greatly
reduced stubble layer in autumn
meaning there is less food and cover
for young when they are born.
In 1993 the Association for the Protection of Wildlife (L’association Sauvegarde Faune Sauvage, SFS) was created in Elsenheim in the Lower Rhine Valley. The Black-bellied hamster was declared a protected spe- cies by the French government and they established a program to rear, breed and reintroduce black-bellied hamsters into the wild. However by 2009 it was still considered among ‘the most endangered mammals in Europe’ by the Euro- pean Commission because the number of burrows continued to decline, from 1,167 in 2001 to 161 in 2007, a trend which continued until 2009. In 2011 the Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled that France had failed to protect the Black-bellied hamster. The court said that if France did not adjust its agricul- tural and urbanization policies sufficiently to protect the Black-bellied hamster, the government would be subject to considerable fines of as much as 800,000 Euros per day. In August 2012 a ministerial decree was issued which required that a radius of 600 metres around each bur- row located be managed in such a way as to be suitable for hamsters to breed. This ruling was not well received by local politicians and even the SFS feared it may lead to the mass des- truction of hamster burrows, in order to prevent fu- ture urban development projects being blocked.
Breeding Centres The SFS now runs 3 breeding centres which are dedicated to the breeding and reintroduction of Black-bellied hamsters into the Alsace region, with the aim of reintroducing approximately 500 hamsters per year.
Breeding Programme The females are very aggressive and must accept a male for mating. As a precaution, the male is kept in a cage before they can be properly introduced. Under the watchful eye of scientist Celine Boulage, the hamsters breed once before being released back into the wild. This system has proved successful as a repro- duction rate of around 30% is achieved.
The female gives birth to a litter of 5 The babies are born deaf and blind. On their se-
young on average. Gestation lasts 21 days, cond day they show black pigment on their back.
and the young are weaned 21 days later. By the fifth day the back has a light covering of
dark fur and black hairs appear on the belly.
2 days old
5 days old
Reintroduction Once the hamsters are old enough they are re- leased by ONCFS (National Office for Hunting and Wildlife). 82% of the hamster population is concentrated in five communities situated in the Lower Rhine.
Martin Klipfel, Mayor of Grussenheim, shown with Jean-Paul Burget (President of SFS), supports the hamster project, but understands the frustration felt by farmers who find their construction projects blocked due to the pres- ence of hamster burrows on their land.
On 8th June 2013, 115 hamsters were released in 3 hectares of standing wheat, which will not be harvested, to allow the hamster reintroduction the best possible chance of success.
Christian Schmitt is a local farmer who owns around 100 hectares
of land at Elsenheim, where he grows maize, lucerne and wheat.
He is taking part in the hamster reintroduction project and holds
one of the 3 breeding centres on his land, and certain of his fields
are dedicated solely to the hamster reintroduction.
The standing wheat, which will not be harvested, will allow the ani-
mals to find food and shelter from spring until autumn. In return
for his co-operation in the reintroduction project, he receives com-
pensation from the government.Monitoring Wild Populations Monitoring the existing population and On land where farmers have accepted the In the spring, as the breeding season success of the reintroductions is another presence of hamsters, the ONCFS applies approaches, the ONCFS conducts a new aspect to the work done by SFS, and they the new protocol for protecting the hams- census of the burrows and tags animals work closely with the ONCFS to achieve ters. At Blaesheim the recent releases have in order to find out more about their this. allowed a new wild population to emerge. biological cycle.
Males are released immediately, but any females
caught are sent to the CNRS in Strasbourg where
a vet implants a heat sensitive transmitter in
their abdomen to allow their movements to be
tracked. Once fitted with this device, the females
are released and the ONCFS staff conduct a radio
check twice a week.
The hamsters are
caught by placing
tasty morsels such
as carrots and
onions in a
“sexing box”.
The aim of this project, set up as part of the
2012-2016 National Action Plan, is to unders-
tand the demographic parameters of a wild
hamster population evolving in optimal condi-
tions.
This study will also allow the researchers to esta-
blish the correlation between the permanent
ground cover vegetation and the number of
litters, in order to determine the causes for the
decline of the Black-bellied hamster and its hopes
for survival.To find solutions which both protect the species and agricultural production is a challenge to which both ONCFS and DREAL (the Regional Office for Environment, Development and Hou- sing) are working to find a solution. The Black-bellied hamster of Alsace has the potential to become, like the white stork, an emblematic animal for the region. However, it still suffers from the negative image of an animal which is harmful to crops which prevailed in the past. An image which may well be difficult to change.
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