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
Christianity in the Middle East Lebanese Civil War. The majority of self-identifying [[Arab American]]s are [[Eastern Rite Catholic]] or [[Orthodox Christian]], according to the [[Arab American Institute]]. On the other hand, most American Muslims are black (African Americans or Sub-Saharan Africans) or of South Asian (Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi) origin. The largest Christian community in the Middle East are the [[Copts]] of Egypt, whose churches are mainly divided into: Many Christians in the Middle East are [[Semitic people|Semitic]] followers of [[Syriac Christianity]], are ethnically and linguistically distinct from Arabs, and divided into: Christians, belonging mostly to [[Greek Orthodox]] and [[Melkite]] churches: All of them are