what is hamster

A hamster is a small rodent belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 18 species classified in seven genera. The name "hamster" is a loanword from the German, which itself derives from earlier Middle High German hamastra. It is possibly related to Old Church Slavonic khomestoru, which is either a blend of the root of Russian хомяк (khomyak) "hamster" and a Baltic word (cf. Lithuanian: staras "hamster"); or of Persian origin (cf. Avestan: hamaēstar "oppressor"). Hamsters are typically stout-bodied, with tails shorter than body length, and have small, furry ears, short, stocky legs, and wide feet. They have thick, silky fur, which can be long or short, colored black, grey, honey, white, brown, yellow, red, or a mix, depending on the species. The most common hamsters found as pets are Syrian golden hamsters, Chinese hamsters, Campbell's or dwarf hamsters, Djungarian or winter-white Russian dwarf hamsters, and Roborovski hamsters. Hamsters are nocturnal, with large eyes and a retina dominated by rods - the part of the eye that can function in lower light levels. They are more crepuscular than nocturnal and, in the wild, they burrow underground in the daylight to avoid being caught by predators.