Seasonal dynamics of blood parameters in Turkish hamster ( Nehring, 1898)

The dynamics of body weight and temperature, as well as hematological blood parameters, were carried out on 10 males of Turkish hamsters under natural temperature and photoperiod. Due to the absence of an increase in body weight in the autumn and the seasonal changes in the number of red blood cells and white blood cells, Turkish hamster can be classified as a species with facultative hibernation. At the same time, the seasonal dynamics of changes in platelet parameters is similar to that of true hibernators. According to the data obtained by thermologgers in our experiment, not a single individual demonstrated true hibernation patterns, only short-term torpors were recorded.