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Hamsters
What is a Syrian?
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The Syrian Is a Simple Pet With an Interesting History
The Syrian, or Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) was captured in Syria in 1930 by a zoologist from Jerusalem, Professor I. Aharoni. He had found a mother and twelve young in a burrow near Aleppo in Syria. Only three of these survived; and until recently, the captive population of Syrians had all descended from those three. Syrians were brought to the USA from the UK in 1938, and their rise in popularity as house pets came after World War II.
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