Hint: its NOT what you think...
Recently...
We made a post that suggested that when hamsters are too hot, they might drool!
But we realized that it's actually a common misconception that they can't drool!
Where does this misconception come from?
Because hamsters store food in their cheeks, some people believe that in order to keep their cheek pouches dry, hamsters cannot have saliva glands at all, but this is not the case.
Why do hamsters need saliva glands?
While it is true that hamsters have no saliva glands in their cheek pouches, they do have them to help aid digestion-- their saliva contains digestive enzymes to help break down food!
Excessive drooling can indicate a tooth problem or overheating, but they can drool!
Sources
“Histopathology of the tongue in a hamster model of COVID-19” by BMC Oral Health
“The Digestive System of a Hamster” by Zooplus Magazine
BBC documentary “Playful Creatures”
