Predation and survival in reintroduced populations of the Common hamster Cricetus cricetus in the Netherlands
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Predation and survival in reintroduced populations of the Common hamster Cricetus cricetus in the Netherlands Maurice J. J. La Haye1,2 · Ruud J. M. van Kats2 · Gerard J. D. M. Müskens2 · Caspar A. Hallmann1 · Eelke Jongejans1 Received: 28 January 2020 / Accepted: 29 August 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract European populations of Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) have dramatically declined in the last decades, and in many EU countries, the species is on the brink of extinction. In the Netherlands, a research and reintroduction program was started in three areas with hamster-friendly management to reverse the decline of the species. Since 2002, more than 800 captive-bred and wild-born hamsters were monitored using implant radiotransmitters to quantify survival rates and discover the main causes of death after release compared to those of wild individuals. Individuals with a transmitter were regularly checked at their burrow. Predation by foxes, birds of prey, and small mustelids was the most important cause of mortality of this medium-sized rodent, while crop type and harvest regime were also likely to be important drivers as they influenced survival rates through the presence or absence of protective cover. The fitted weekly survival model showed that male hamsters had much lower survival rates during the active season than females, which corresponds with the ‘risky male hypothesis’. Survival rates of females appeared too low to keep populations at a stable level. To establish a viable population, more optimal environmental conditions for both survival and reproduction of the hamsters are necessary. Using electric fences around fields with hamsters significantly increased the survival of females. However, hamster conservationists need to consider not just subadult and adult survival rates, but also habitat connectivity, weather effects on reproduction, and alternative agricultural practices on a landscape scale. Keywords Predation · Reintroduction · Reproduction · Rodent · Survival · Transmitter
Introduction The Common or European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) has a range extending from Europe through Russia as far as the most western border of China (Surov et al. 2016). This medium-sized rodent originally is native to steppe habitat, Handling editor: Emma Vitikainen. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-020-00063-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Maurice J. J. La Haye [email protected] 1
Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Wageningen Environmental Research, Animal Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands
2
but has successfully adapted to live in agricultural habitats, as well. For most of the twentieth century, Common hamsters have been regarded as an agricultural pest in Europe, and were hunted heavily, although irregular population outbreaks did occur (Nech
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