Cute Hamsters

Hamsters are stout-bodied, with tails shorter than body length, and have small furry ears, short stocky legs, and wide feet. Their thick, silky fur, which can be long or short, can be black, gray, honey, white, brown, yellow, or red depending on the species, or a mix of any of those colors.
Two species of hamsters belonging to the genus Phodopus (Phodopus campbelli, Campbell's Dwarf Hamster, and Phodopus sungorus, the Djungarian Hamster) and also two of the species of the genus Cricetulus, (Cricetulus barabensis, the Chinese Striped Hamster, and Cricetulus griseus, the Chinese Dwarf Hamster) have a dark stripe down the head to tail. The species of genus Phodopus are the smallest, with bodies 5.5 to 10.5 centimetres (2.2 to 4.1 in) long; the largest is the European Hamster (Cricetus cricetus), measuring up to 34 centimetres (13.4 in) long, not including a short tail of up to 6 centimetres (2.4 in). The Angora hamster, also known as the long-haired or Teddy Bear hamster, which is a type of the Golden Hamster is the second-largest hamster breed, measuring up to 18 centimetres (7.1 in) long.
Hamsters have poor eyesight; they are nearsighted and colorblind. However, they have an acute sense of smell and can hear extremely well. Hamsters can use their sense of smell to detect gender, locate food, and detect pheremones. They are also particularly sensitive to high-pitched noises and can hear and communicate in the ultrasonic range.
The tail is sometimes difficult to find; usually it is not very long (about 1/6th the length of their body) with exception of the Chinese dwarf hamster whose tail is the same length as the body. On a long haired hamster it is barely visible. Hamsters are very flexible, and their bones are somewhat fragile. They are extremely susceptible to rapid temperature changes and drafts, as well as extreme heat or cold. Hamsters are hindgut fermenters and must eat their own feces in order to digest their food a second time. This practice is called coprophagy and is necessary for the hamster to obtain the proper nutrients from its food.