The history of Chinese dwarf hamsters

Chinese dwarf hamsters [or Chinese hamsters] are native to southern China and Mongolia. Unlike other dwarf hamsters, they belong to this genus from

Hamster from

 . Their scientific name is from

Cricetulus barabensis griseus from

 .

These animals have long, narrow bodies compared to other dwarf hamster species. People who see them for the first time usually think of them as mice or mice rather than hamsters. Their faces are not only as long as mice, but also long tails - long compared to other hamster tails.

They are also different from other dwarf hamsters because Chinese dwarf hamsters are very good climbers. Their feet can grip them better than the feet of other dwarves, and they can wrap themselves around the vertical pole - such as your fingers.

Their total body length [including their head] is 4 inches [10 cm], which makes them one of the longer dwarf dwarf hamsters. Their tails are about 1 inch to 15/16 inches [25-34 mm] long; they weigh between 1 3/8 and 1 5/8 ounces [39-46 grams]. They lived for a year and a half to three years, which is a typical feature of dwarf hamsters.

Although some other dwarf species have multiple colors and patterns, so far, Chinese dwarf hamsters have a different color change. The standard color is called a guinea pig, meaning that the color of the hair changes from black at the bottom of the hair to brown at the hair. The pattern called the dominant point is mostly white, although there may be black spots on its sides. Both animals have a black strip that extends from the shoulder to the tail.

Chinese hamsters were used in science laboratories before becoming pets. They were originally used in 1919 and have been used to study pneumonia, flu, diphtheria and rabies. For a long time, hamsters did not breed in captivity. In fact, it is this problem that causes scientists to look for another type of hamster to use. This search led to the capture of Syrian hamsters.

These little animals - yes, Chinese hamsters - cause men to go to jail. In 1948, just before the Communists took over China, Dr. Hu from Peking Union Medical College sent some specimens to Dr. Robert Watson to Harvard Medical School. These animals were actually smuggled into the United States, and both scientists were accused of war crimes by the Chinese government. They believed that hamsters were part of the biological weapons program. In fact, Dr. Hu was imprisoned.

Later, in 1957, an ovary was isolated from Chinese hamsters and the cells were replicated. Since then, these cells have been copied over and over again. CHO - Chinese hamster ovary cells have been used to make incredible drugs for treating diseases ranging from infertility to hemophilia to cancer.

Therefore, when you play with a pet, be aware that his or her ancestors have played an unprecedented role in advancing medicine.

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