A large amount of skin must be grasped firmly so that the hamster cannot turn its head to bite the handler. The hamster can then be inverted and cradled in the palm of the hand. When distended, they more than double the width of the animal s head and shoulders. This area is useful for studying tissue or tumor transplantation, as foreign tissue transplanted to the cheek pouch is not subjected to normal rejection. The incisors are open-rooted and grow continuously.
Females tend to be larger and more aggressive than males.
The stomach is divided into a proximal nonglandular portion and a distal glandular portion. The two portions of the stomach are grossly distinct. The left lung consists of one lobe, the right lung consists of four lobes. The flank or scent glands appear as dark patches on either flank. They are sebaceous glands that function in marking territory and mating behavior.