Today's animal of the day is the adorable hamster.

Hamsters are excellent pets for many people, especially starter pets for children. They are small, taking up less space and food. Hamsters also require less attention compared to other pets. We've compiled a list of interesting, fun facts about hamsters for you here.

Fun Facts

• Hamsters are born blind.
• Hamsters have lousy eyesight, are near-sighted, and depend on their sense of smell to get around.
• A hamster will bite when scared or when disturbed during sleep. Their teeth never stop growing and are only kept short by constant chewing.
• A typical diet consists of seeds, fruits and other vegetation.
• Hamsters will also store food in their burrows for future consumption.
• Cricetidae is the scientific name assigned to hamsters. They belong to the Mammalia kingdom.
• The average hamster lives for about 2 to three years in captivity.
• There are about 24 species of hamsters in the world.
• Hamsters run just as fast backward as they do forwards, reaching speeds of 4mph.