X-Rays Demonstrate How Much Food Hamsters Can Stuff Into Their Surprisingly Large Cheeks

An episode of the PBS Nature series “Pets – Wild at Heart” focused on the incredible skeletal flexibility of domestic hamsters using moving x-rays of the animal as he burrowed through a plastic tunnel. The x-ray also captured the staggering amount of food the hamster was able to fit into his cheeks, which are really pockets that extend all the way down to his hips.