Stout-bodied rodents with cheek pouches that stretch to their shoulders, used to carry food home. Of 19 species, the golden or Syrian hamster is the popular pet.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Awake when?Night
Wild hamsters are crepuscular, active at twilight; pet hamsters become nocturnal, waking around sundown.
Hibernates?Yes
Wild Syrian hamsters can hibernate for a few days at a time; pet hamsters don’t.
Kept as a pet?Commonly
The golden or Syrian hamster is the most common pet; dwarf hamsters are kept too.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAsia, Europe
HabitatDesert, Grassland, Farmland
ColoursGold, White, Brown
SizeTiny
Length13–13.5 cm (golden hamster)
Weight100–125 g (golden hamster)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for2–3 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Wild golden hamsters live only in a dry region of northern Syria and southern Turkey, where their numbers are falling.
- What it eats
- Mainly seeds, fruit and other plants, plus some insects.
Did you know
Nearly every pet golden hamster descends from one 1930 litter.
Often confused with
On these lists
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