Translations:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Small Mammal Pets/40/en

Syrian Hamsters are wildly popular as house pets due to their docile, inquisitive nature and small size. They are popular as "first pets" for young children, as well as being classroom animals, because of their hardiness and relative ease of care. Some pet owners find them more attractive than rats and other rodents due to their lack of visible tails. However, their lack of tolerance towards each other is seen by some as a drawback. }} {{Breed id |name = European Hamster |image = Chomik europejski.jpg |description =They are the largest of all hamster species, being similar in size to guinea pigs, measuring up to 10 inches long. The black-bellied hamster is found from Belgium (e.g. Bertem with a thriving population) and Alsace in the west, to Russia in the east, and Romania in the south.