Brandt’s hamster, Mesocricetus brandti (Nehring, 1898), a new rodent to Iraq

Golden hamsters of the genus Mesocricetus are charismatic rodents with allopatric distribution across the Caucasus and the Middle East. Due to the wide distribution especially in its southeastern extremities of Anatolia and the Zagros Mountains in Iran adjacent to Iraq’s northern territories; therefore, the occurrence of Brandt’s Hamster, Mesocricetus brandti (Nehring, 1898) was highly suspected. In April 2026, two adult individuals were observed and photographed at the mountains of Sarka area in northeastern Iraq (Kurdistan), which confirm the first occurrence of this rodent in the country.