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History of the Syrian Hamster
The Syrian hamster was thought to be extinct before a zoologist discovered a mother and her litter in the Syrian Desert (north of Israel) in the early 1930s. The litter consisted of 12 young hamsters, and he took these, as well as the mother, back to his laboratory in Jerusalem. However, only three of the young hamsters made it, but they were in excellent health.
When they were mature, these babies were interbred and produced many litters. Several litters were taken to laboratories in France, England, and, in 1938, to North America. All Syrian (or Golden) hamsters in present time are descendants from that first litter.
The word "hamster" come from the German word associated with the storing of food; hamsters are known for filling their cheek pouches with food.
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