Are there wild hamsters?
Yes, wild hamsters are found on three continents-Africa, Europe and Asia.. Despite the fact that they all belong in the cricetidae family, the species that compromise the fourteen known types of hamsters vary widely, highly dependent on their native habitat. The European or Wood-Lugger hamster, Chinese-Dwarf hamster, Sand-Slider from middle-eastern deserts and the African hamster. In 1839 British zoologist George Robert Waterhouse reportedly found an elderly female hamster in Syria, naming it Cricetus auratus, the Golden Hamster. The hamster’s fur was on display at the British Museum (Natural History). The Syrian Hamster was then ignored by European science for the next century. Around 1930, zoologist and Professor at the University of Jerusalem Israel Aharoni found a mother and litter of hamsters in the Syrian desert. By the time he got back to his lab, most had died or escaped. The remaining hamsters were given to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where they were successfully bred.
