Wild hamsters live primarily in Europe and Asia, inhabiting warm, dry areas such as steppes, sand dunes, edges of deserts, grasslands, meadows, farmland, fields, gardens, and hedgerows. They prefer environments that allow them to dig burrows, which provide shelter, food storage, and protection from predators and harsh weather. These burrows are often elaborate with multiple entrances and rooms. Hamsters avoid rocky or mountainous regions where the ground is too hard to dig
. Their natural range includes countries in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, including Syria, Greece, Romania, Belgium, northern China, Iran, Kazakhstan, and others. Some species, like the Syrian or Golden hamster, are found in northern Syria and southern Turkey, while others inhabit regions such as Mongolia and Afghanistan. Wild hamsters are nocturnal and crepuscular, active mainly at night or during dawn and dusk
. In summary, wild hamsters live in dry, temperate zones across much of Europe and Asia, favoring habitats with loose soil for burrowing such as grasslands, steppes, farmlands, and desert edges
