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Hamsters are small, virtually tailless, velvet-furred rodents
with enormous cheek pouches. They originated in the Middle East and southeastern Europe. The most common and popular, both as pets and laboratory animals, is the golden or Syrian hamster. Color and hair type varieties of the golden hamster include cinnamon, cream, white and "teddy bear" (the long-haired variety). Most of the hamsters sold as pets or used in research are the descendants of 3 littermates domesticated in 1930.
The cheek pouches are a relatively unique anatomic feature of
hamsters. They are actually a cavernous outpouching of the oral mouth cavity on both sides, extending alongside the head and neck to the shoulders. These pouches are used to store food and allow the hamster to transport food from where it is gathered to the hamster's den or nest. The food is then eaten later, at the hamster's leisure hamster owners not familiar with these cheek pouches often panic when seeing them fully distended for the first time, thinking they represent tumors or abscesses.
Another relatively unique anatomic feature of hamsters is the
paired glands in the skin over the flanks. These appear as dark
spots within the haircoat and are much more obvious in males than females. These glands are used to mark a hamster's territory and also have a role in sexual behavior.
Hamsters are very popular pets today because of their avail
ability, affordability, small size, cuddly appearance, often
docile temperament and relatively clean habits. They are not very long-lived, which can be disconcerting to owners (especially children. Many parents, however, believe that having their children experience the relatively short period of companionship and subsequent death is a meaningful way to expose children to the "ups and downs" of life.
For many years hamsters have been used in biomedical research laboratories. Consequently, their medical problems have been traditionally approached on a group basis, rather than on an individual basis. As a result, very little practical information exists on the medical care of individual hamsters. Furthermore, even less information is available to pet owners on the responsible home care of hamsters and their potential medical problems.
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