If you thought you could wreck a buffet like it was nobody’s business, think again. If hamsters were the size of humans, they would certainly be barred from many Las Vegas restaurants. Because using X-ray video, a recent BBC documentary decided to find out just how a hamster was able to stuff away so much food, and the secret is all about more cargo space than meets the eye.
It turns out that not only are hamsters able to turn off the production of saliva in their mouths, to ensure the food they’re transporting isn’t already being broken down, their incredibly stretchy cheek pouches actually stretch all the way to their hips. So the added weight is better distributed over their entire body, and the capacity is unbelievable.
Just try and imagine your cheeks stretching all the way down there. The next time you went to the supermarket you wouldn’t need bags at all to get it all home. [YouTube via Taxi]