David Tennant Explains How Hamsters Pack So Much Food in Their Cheeks

Posted on January 18, 2015

David Tennant (The Tenth Doctor) explains how hamsters can pack so much food in their cheeks in this clip from the BBC's Pets - Wild at Heart. The video shows a hamster eating a great deal of food and also filling up its cheek pouches.

The video also provides an x-ray image of the hamster eating so you an see just how big hamster pouches are - they extend all the way to its hips. The hamster does not secret saliva to help keeps its food dry. Hamsters will sometimes also use these pouches to carry non-food items, such as bedding materials.

Tennant notes that when the hamster has filled its checks up with as much food as possible it will then try and carry an extra piece away in its mouth. The hamster then stores this food in a designated stash area. Tennant is a terrific narrator but the background music - with the breathing - is odd at times. Take a look:

ANIMALS