Golden hamster Golden hamster The golden hamster or Syrian hamster ("Mesocricetus auratus") is a rodent in the subfamily Cricetinae, the hamsters. Their natural geographical range is limited to arid areas of northern Syria and southern Turkey. Their numbers have been declining due to a loss of habitat caused by agriculture and deliberate elimination by humans. Thus, in the wild, they are now considered vulnerable by the IUCN. However, captive-breeding programs are well established, and captive-bred golden hamsters are often kept as small house pets. Additionally, they are also used as scientific research animals throughout the world. The size of adult animals ranges
Origin of the Kurds or of "Corduene". The name "Kurds" (Arabic "Kurd", plural "Akrad") is used throughout the medieval period, from the Islamic conquests, also as a generic term for Iranian nomadic tribes by the Arabs. There are different theories about the origin of name "Kurd". According to one theory, it originates in Middle Persian as 𐭪𐭥𐭫𐭲 "kwrt-", a term for "nomad; tent-dweller". After the Muslim conquest of Persia, this term is adopted into Arabic as "kurd-", and was used specifically of nomadic tribes. As for the Middle Persian noun "kwrt-" originating in an ancient toponym, it has been argued that it may ultimately