In 1930, biologist Israel Aharoni decided to launch an expedition near the ancient city of Aleppo to find this almost-mythical creature. It was known as a rodent with soft, golden fur.
The Syrian hamster had been collected by explorers a couple of times, but remained a poorly understood animal. While there are some inconsistencies in the various accounts of the pet hamster’s backstory, the main expedition is well documented. The hamster that got the pet craze going, the Syrian hamster, is actually one of the rarest. They all look pretty cute, but many are actually quite aggressive and ill-suited as pets. Some live relatively solitary lives and some are social. All species are nocturnal, hoard food and live in burrows. There are 18 species of wild hamsters (maybe more, depending on the taxonomist you ask). Photo © digital_image_fan / Flickr The Quest for the Golden Hamster A domestic golden hamster plays peekaboo. Let’s take a look at the fascinating story of hamsters in the wild, the plight of our pets’ wild cousins and, yes, why hamsters run on wheels. How did this rodent come to be a popular pet? Why does Diggy run around the wheel like that? What are her wild ancestors like, and how are they faring? A curious naturalist rarely has to look far for interesting questions. While Diggy is most active at night, she often arises around mid-day for a bout of running on her wheel.Īs I watch this cute little critter, I start to wonder. It’s my son’s new winter white dwarf hamster, named Diggy. But fortunately, in my job, I can always look for story ideas in nature.Īnd then, behind me, a sound like thunkety-thunkety-thunk turns my gaze. I’m staring out the window again, seeking a burst of inspiration.