Inside a Hamster's Cheeks

The BBC's "Pets - Wild at Heart" series is featuring in-depth looks at animals ranging from cats to dogs to hamsters using high-tech photographic methods. A sneak peek at the first episode shows a particularly interesting sequence involving a hungry hamster combined with X-ray imagery. The result is a fascinating inside view of how the industrious rodent is able to pack an obscene amount of food into its cheek pouches.

When faced with a bowl full of nuts and other edible goodies, the golden hamster starts shoving the morsels into its mouth and down the sides. A closeup shows every little strand of fur on its hairy hands. Speeded-up X-ray footage then shows just how much food he can fit down the cheek pouches. "His pouches extend all the way to his hips," explains the narrator.