Hamsters are small, burrowing rodents recognized globally for their stout bodies and famously large cheek pouches. These pouches allow them to transport substantial amounts of food back to their underground stores, a behavior that earned the Syrian Golden Hamster the Arabic nickname “mister saddlebags.” Known for their nocturnal activity, these animals have become one of the world’s most common small household pets. The history of their introduction to science and eventual domestication is a story of rediscovery.
Early Encounters and Regional Knowledge
The Syrian Golden Hamster, the species that became the foundation for the pet trade, originated in an arid region of northern Syria and southern Turkey. Local populations in the Middle East had long been aware of the animal, often viewing it as a minor agricultural pest due to its habit of burrowing in cultivated fields. The first formal scientific notation appeared in the 1797 publication The Natural History of Aleppo by Scottish physician Alexander Russell.
Russell provided a brief description of the rodent, but a formal classification was not immediately established. In 1839, British zoologist George Robert Waterhouse officially recognized and named the species Cricetus auratus, or the Golden Hamster. Based on a single preserved specimen, the hamster then largely disappeared from Western scientific notice for nearly a century.
The Modern Scientific Rediscovery
The definitive introduction of the hamster to modern science occurred in 1930, driven by the needs of medical research. Zoologist Israel Aharoni, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was tasked with finding a small mammal easy to breed in captivity. His colleague, parasitologist Saul Adler, needed a suitable animal model for studying the tropical disease leishmaniasis, which was prevalent in the region.
Aharoni mounted an expedition near Aleppo, Syria, in search of the elusive rodent. On April 12, 1930, Aharoni and his local guide located a burrow eight feet beneath a wheat field. They excavated the nest and discovered a female hamster with a litter of eleven young pups.
This captured litter represented the foundation of the domesticated hamster population worldwide. The mother and her young were transported back to the laboratory in Jerusalem. Due to the stress of capture, the mother either died or was removed, and only a few of the pups survived the journey.
These remaining few—some accounts suggest just one male and two females—were successfully hand-reared and began reproducing rapidly. Within one year, the small founding group had multiplied into a colony of 150 hamsters. Scientific analysis of mitochondrial DNA confirms that the vast majority of today’s domesticated Syrian hamsters are descended from this single female captured near Aleppo in 1930.
Transition to Global Pet Trade
Once established in the Jerusalem laboratory, the hamster quickly moved beyond its initial role as a research animal. As early as 1931, descendants of the original litter were shipped to scientific institutions in the United Kingdom. Their docility, ease of handling, and prolific breeding rate made them desirable for various biomedical research projects.
The transition from laboratory animal to popular pet began in earnest in the late 1930s and 1940s. After breeding stock was distributed to laboratories across Europe and the United States, surplus animals started moving into the general public. Their small size and gentle nature made them an appealing choice for families seeking an easily manageable pet.
The commercial pet trade received a significant boost in the United States around 1946 with the founding of the Gulf Hamstery by Albert Marsh. This enterprise actively marketed the Syrian hamster to the public, quickly establishing the rodent as a mainstream household companion. By the 1950s, the Syrian Golden Hamster had completed its journey from an obscure Middle Eastern burrow to a globally recognized pocket pet.