What You Need to Know About Hamster Anatomy
You may have already learned that hamsters have cheek pouches. These pouches are double the width of their head and shoulders and are open-rooted, with incisors that grow continuously. However, hamsters’ anatomy is a little more complex. Read on to discover more about their unique features!
RET muscle
The RET muscle in hamster anatomy is commonly used as an in vivo model for the study of skeletal muscle injury. The RET muscle can be surgically isolated while preserving its primary vascular supply. Once isolated, the RET muscle is suitable for transplantation as a free flap. A microdissection of the RET muscle reveals distinct patterns of collecting veins.
Stomach divided into two parts
The stomach of hamsters is divided into two parts, a proximal nonglandular part and a distal glandular part. The nonglandular portion is less acidic than the glandular part. The male hamster has more glandular tissue than the female. It also has a larger adrenal gland than the female. Both sexes have a urethra. The female has one in the ventral part of its stomach and one on the left side.
Expansive cheek pouches
Expansive cheek pouches are a prominent feature of hamster anatomy. They are large, bilateral, and thin-walled, lined with stratified squamous epithelium. They lack lymphatic tissue but are rich in mast cells. In addition to being large, they have fine folds and protrusions, and are lined with four layers of mucus.
Short legs
Knowing a little about hamster anatomy will help you give your pet better care. For example, a hamster’s feet are shaped like an oval and point outwards, much like a ballet dancer’s feet. Similarly, a hamster’s cheek pouches extend from its jaw to its shoulders. This allows it to extend its foraging range and minimize exposure to predators.
Short tail
A short tail hamster has a unique anatomy. It has cheek pouches on either side of the face that can be everted. These pouches contain blood vessels that are visible under a microscope. Research at the University of UK has also revealed that this species has an immune privileged area in the cheeks. Females also have larger cheek pouches and are more aggressive than males.
Red eyes
Red eyes in hamsters are a sign of a health problem, so it’s important to get your pet to a vet for a checkup. There are several different causes of red eyes, including allergies and infections. While the majority of cases are harmless, some conditions may require urgent medical attention.
Stomach
The stomach of hamsters has several distinct compartments, including the forestomach and caecum. The hamster’s glandular and compartmentalized stomach is an evolutionary adaptation that allows for proper utilisation of food. Several studies have investigated the role of these structures. One of these studies examined the microbial population of the forestomach and the volatile fatty acid content of the caecum.
Trypanosomes in hamsters
Experimental infection with Trypanosomes evansi induced the same general disease symptoms in mice, rats, hamsters, and cotton rat. The disease was acute and fatal in all host animals, but the hamster disease was unusual in that the parasites exhibited abnormal morphological features. They showed edematous lesions in different parts of the body, including the external genitalia. They also exhibited high parasitemia, reaching a mean count of 1.5 million per cm 3 peripheral blood.