Hamsters

Hamsters are members of the Cricetidae family of rodents, and are typified by soft fur, stout bodies, short tails and puffy cheeks. They exist in the wild primarily in the Middle East and southeastern Europe, but are kept as pets and laboratory animals throughout the world. One of the most widespread wild hamsters is the Black-Bellied Field Hamster. Considered an agricultural menace, it measures up to a foot long and can store hundreds of pounds of grain in its burrow. The variety of hamster that's most commonly kept as a pet is the Golden Hamster, which grows to five or six inches long. All domesticated Golden Hamsters are closely related to each other, having descended from a family of 13 wild hamsters found in Syria in 1930.

Fast Facts

1. Life span: 1 - 3 years
2. Most hamsters are nocturnal
3. Over 1 million laboratory hamsters killed each year in United States
4. Hamsters are rodents of the subfamily Cricetinae
5. Hamsters are omnivorous

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