Brandt's hamster lives in dry steppe from Turkey through the Caucasus to northwestern Iran. It stores plant foods in underground burrows before hibernating.
A comparative study of golden hamsters reported that measurements of Brandt's hamster specimens became more similar from east to west across the species' range.
In dry open steppe and sometimes farmland, it eats herbs and cereals and may also take insects. It stores cereals, roots, bulbs, and leaves in its burrow before hibernating.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.