Skin and hair of the Tibetan Hamster (<i>Urocricetus kamensis</i>, Cricetidae, Rodentia): A comparative morphological analysis

For the first time, using light and scanning electron microscopy, the fine structure of the skin and its derivatives (glands, hairs, whiskers) was studied in adult male and female Tibetan hamsters (Urocricetus kamensis Satunin 1903), a unique species of the subfamily Cricetinae that lives only in the highlands of the Tibetan Plateau. A comparative morphological analysis of the skin, along with features of its similarity with the skin of other hamsters, revealed a number of characteristic features in the Tibetan hamster that contribute to the adaptation of this species to the harsh mountain climate conditions with sharp seasonal and daily temperature fluctuations: abundant subcutaneous fatty tissue, a special hair structure that provides effective heat protection due to a significant change in the volume of inert air in the fur: significant hair density, wavy arrangement of rows of hairs and the profile of the lower sections of the guard hairs. The presence of relatively long and thick guide hairs in the fur serves to protect the coat in rocky habitats. The array of specific skin glands is little compared to other Cricetinae; no mid-ventral and flank glands were found, this being unique for representatives of the subfamily, but this requires confirmation based on more abundant material.