Hamster with stuffed cheeks, cheeky hamster, cheek pouches

Hamster cheeks are amazing “devices” that work like a parachute: at the right time, they swell and generous food supplies can easily fit there. The hamster hides food behind his cheeks – this is his feature that makes him very funny.

Interesting experiment

BBC journalists conducted an experiment, during which it turned out that at one time a hamster can stuff about 20 almonds and a few candied fruits. A microscopic X-ray camera was used to count the amount of food, as well as demonstrate how it is distributed in the cheek pouches. Thanks to this experiment, the audience saw what a hamster with big cheeks looks like from the inside.

Features of the structure of the body of a rodent

A hamster with cheeks looks funny, but it’s not always like that. They get fat when rodents hide food there, they are literally inflated. Hamsters are very thrifty animals, it is not difficult to see them with full cheek pouches, so the British call the animals “hamster”, which means “store” in German.

Pets do not have to starve, they are given as much food as they want. But why don’t animals stop storing food? It’s all about instincts, you can’t run away from them. The hamster still strives to hide some of the food, so he stuffs the treats into his cheeks. A hamster with a stuffed mouth has long been a cartoon star, it is in this form that he is depicted in books and magazines.

Winter stocks

Rodents living in the wild regularly stock up on food. The cheek pouches of hamsters are large enough and as long as something is placed there, the homa will stuff their cheeks. The bags are designed in such a way that an amount of food is placed there, which is equal to half the weight of the animal..

After the food is in the cheek pouches, the hamster with stuffed cheeks goes to the mink and hides supplies there. He runs very funny with his cheeks puffed out and pushes food out: he presses his cheek pouches and blows hard. Under pressure, food flies out of the mouth, and the cheeky hamster turns into an ordinary rodent. Now the cheek pouches are empty and the animal can go for new supplies, it does so.

Now you know why the hamster has big cheeks: he stocks up 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 fills his cheeks.

Cheek pouches features

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 the store. A pet does not need to prepare food, but a hamster with food in his cheek loves to make his owner laugh!

Why do hamsters stuff their cheeks? In order not to stay hungry in the winter. This is a convenient way to transport food. But nature did not take into account one point: once these cute animals can become tame, their need to store food will change, as will their diet.

Possible problems and solutions

Sometimes the cheek pouches become inflamed. This happens due to the fact that not quite healthy products get into the mouth of the rodent. In nature, animals with inflamed cheeks are rare, but for pets this phenomenon is very common.

In order not to inflame the cheek pouches, you need to properly care for the hamster. Do not put cat or other litter that is not intended for rodents in the cage. Make sure that there were no legumes and sweets on the pet’s menu.

Video: funny hamster stuffs cheeks