THIS Is How Hamsters Fit So Much Food Inside Their Cheeks! | Pets: Wild At Heart | BBC Earth

This hamster can fit up to 20% of his own body mass in his cheek pouches - but how will he fit through his tunnel?

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all pet golden hamsters are descended from just one family found in the deserts of Syria in the middle of the last century give them a tunnel system and they are transported back to the wild in the desert they would shelter from the heat and predators by hiding in burrows during the day moving x-rays reveal just how maneuverable years his flexible spine allows him to take sharp turns easily in fact his spine is so bendy he can completely turn back on himself few other animals can perform this complete u-turn [Music] [Music] presented with food he act as if it's his last meal stuffing the surplus into his cheek pouches to be eaten later [Music] to keep his food fresh and dry he secretes no saliva x-rays shows just how he packs it all in his poachers extend all the way to his hips and we can't fit in another morsel he carries his favorite treat with him easier said than done [Music] [Music] [Music] disgorging his stash is his next challenge the nuts stick to his dry cheek poachers but he has a way to tackle the problem his surprisingly dexterous paws hamsters make these stores because in the desert they never know where their next meal may come from here it's a form of play a way to enjoy wild behavior that in captivity has no real purpose [Music]