In 1930, a female and her litter were obtained in Syria and brought to Israel, and, from this family, the domesticated hamster was developed. Syrian hamsters were brought to the United States in 1938. In the wild, hamsters are nocturnal animals that live on brushy slopes and steppes. Uses Hamsters are the third most commonly used research animal.
Most Syrian hamsters are a light reddish brown color with a grayish white underside.
Other color varieties include cinnamon, cream, albino, and piebald. Several inbred strains are available for biomedical research. Handling Hamsters have a tendency to bite if roughly or improperly handled, startled, injured, or awakened. Two methods to lift a hamster without touching it are to allow the hamster to enter a small container, or to grasp the hamster by the loose skin of the neck area with a rubber-tipped thump forceps. These methods are useful for transferring a hamster from one enclosure to another.