What is the history of the common hamster?

Golden hamsters are native to the desert areas of Syria and are sometimes referred to as Syrian Golden
hamsters. They were discovered in 1930 by Professor I. Aharoni of the Department of Zoology, Hebrew
University, in Jerusalem. Professor Aharoni was exploring an animal tunnel near Aleppo, Syria, when he
came across a mother and her litter. Of the litter of 12, only a male and two females survived the trip back to
the university. These three were later mated and are believed to be the foundation for all Golden hamsters in
captivity today.
In 1931, young hamsters were shipped to the United States Public Health Service Research Center at
Carville, Louisiana, where they were used in medical research. While being used in research, it was discovered
that the Golden hamster could be tamed and made into a pet.