Further Reading: Hamsters
Hamster ... Hamsters are crepuscular animals which burrow underground in the daylight to avoid being caught by predators... Although the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) was first described scientifically in 1839, it was not until 1930 that researchers were able to successfully breed and domesticate hamsters... Pet golden hamsters are descended from hamsters first found and captured in Syria by zoologist Israel Aharoni...