Hamsters are a beloved pet, cherished by so many adults and children all around the world. Even though our love for the little beings is hard as wood, I bet most people are not aware of where our little hammys come from. So, let’s get into the origins of our hamsters.
The history of our hammys
There are approximately 18 species of wild hamsters. All 18 species are nocturnal and they all hoard food in their little burrows. Some choose to live a lonesome life and some are more social and live with other hamsters. They all look like incredibly adorable fluff balls, but many wild hamsters are actually quite aggressive and would not take too well to being a pet.
The Syrian trend
The hamster that started the whole pet craze is the Syrian hamster itself. The Syrian hamster is actually one of the rarest hamsters out in the wild, but are well known for being pets.
The great expedition
In 1930, a biologist going by the name of Israel Aharoni decided on launching an expedition near the ancient city of Aleppo to find this almost mythical creature. He had heard stories of the “golden hamster”. He was leading a tricky trip to find the creature that still may or may not exist in the wild. With the help of a local hunter, the expedition finally found a litter of wild Syrian hamsters. This began the series of trials and tribulations of newly captured hamsters. Today, Syrian hamsters are nearly everywhere. A precise count is impossible!
If you have found this blog fascinating, maybe I could interest you in reading The origins of our dogs, or even The origins of our cats.
