The hamster’s cheeks are amazing “devices” that work on the principle of a parachute: at the right moment they swell and they can easily accommodate generous food supplies. The hamster hides food by his cheeks – this is his feature that makes it very funny.
BBC TV journalists conducted an experiment, during which it turned out that a hamster can stuff about 20 almonds and a few candied fruits at a time. A microscopic X-ray camera was used to calculate the amount of food and also to demonstrate how it is distributed in the cheek pouches. Through this experiment, viewers saw what a hamster with large cheeks looks like from the inside.
Hamster with Stuffed Cheeks
A dwarf hamster looks funny, but he is not always like that. They become fat when rodents hide food there, they are literally inflated. Hamsters are very thrifty animals, it will not be difficult to see them with full cheek pouches, therefore the British call the animals “Hamster”, which means “to store” in German.
Pets don’t have to starve, they are given as much food as they want. But why don’t the animals stop storing food? It’s all about instincts, you can’t run away from them. The hamster still strives to hide part of the food, so he stuffs the sweets by the cheeks. A hamster with a full mouth has long become a star of cartoons, it is in this form that it is portrayed in books and magazines.
Hamster Storing Food in Cheeks
Rodents living in the wild regularly stock up on food. Cheek pouches for hamsters are large enough and while there is something to fit in, the hamster will stuff its cheeks. The bags are arranged in such a way that an amount of food is placed there, which is equal to half the weight of the animal.
Hamster Emptying Cheeks
After the food is in the cheek pouches, the hamster with full cheeks goes to the burrow and hides the supplies there. He runs very funny with puffed cheeks and pushes food out presses on the cheek pouches and blows hard. Under pressure, food flies out of the mouth, and the chubby hamster turns into an ordinary rodent. Now the cheek pouches are empty and the animal can go for new supplies, it does just that.
Now you know why the hamster has big cheeks: he makes provisions for the winter and survives it without problems – he ate, slept, walked, and ate again. “In the wild” rodents store seeds and grains, but they do not disdain roots either.
This is interesting: a hamster with cheeks stores up to 90 grams of food at a time! If you are the owner of this cute animal, watch how the hamster stuffs its cheeks.
Hamster with Full Cheeks – Cheek Pouches
The cheek pouches in hamsters are paired organs that are located in the mouth, away from the dentition. They perform an important function – with their help, the rodent transfers large portions of food to storage. The pet does not need to prepare food, but the hamster with food on his cheek loves to make the owner laugh so much!
Why do hamsters stuff their cheeks? In order not to stay hungry in winter. It is a convenient way to transport food. But nature did not take into account one point: one day these cute animals can become tame, their need to store food will change, as will their diet.
Hamster Pouch – Possible Problems and Their Solutions
Sometimes the cheek pouches become inflamed. This happens due to the fact that not very healthy foods get into the rodent’s mouth. In nature, animals with sore cheeks are rare, but for pets, this phenomenon is very common.
To avoid inflammation of the cheek pouches, you need to properly care for the hamster. Do not place feline or other non-rodent litter in the cage. Make sure that there were no beans and sweets on the pet’s menu.