Why do hamsters have cheek pouches?

Answer 1

Cheek Pouches
Hamsters got their name from the word 'hamper', which means 'to hoard', as a result of this interesting feature of their anatomy.

Hamsters use their cheek pouch to collect and transport food and nesting material from one place to another. When emptying their cheek pouch, they will use their forepaws to push the contents from the back of the cheek pouch forwards. This is especially important in the wild, as the cheek pouch enables a hamster to hoard and store food in winter, and when food supplies are low.

The skin lining a hamster's cheek pouch is dry and tough, and digestive processes such as salivating on the food do not occur in the cheek pouch, ensuring that the food stored in the pouch remains dry and fresh. The bristly texture of the cheek pouch's skin also prevents food from falling out into their mouth.
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Whiskers
A hamster's sensory whiskers helps it to navigate around its surroundings and detect objects around its environment. Whiskers, or vibrissae, are found not only on the face but also on the sides of the body. A hamster's whiskers helps the nocturnal animal to move and feel around its surroundings with ease in the nighttime.
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Mouth/Teeth
Hamsters are classified as rodents because they have enlarged, chisel-shaped upper and lower front incisors that grow throughout their lives. Falling or broken teeth is not a sign of old age, but a condition that needs veterinary attention. A hamster's mouth contains 16 teeth - four incisors and 8 molars.

Because a hamster's incisors continue to grow throughout its life, they need to gnaw continuously to grind the teeth down. Overgrown teeth is a painful condition and will prevent a hamster from closing its mouth properly.

A hamster may sometimes bite parts of its cage (such as the wire bars, water bottle and wheel) if they do not have sufficient gnawing materials. Supply your hamster with sufficient gnawing toys, wood chews, nibblers and hard foods such as corn cob to satisfy their need for gnawing.
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Answer 2

Hamster Cheek Pouch

Answer 3

A hamster uses its cheek pouches to carry food and bedding material :)

Answer 4

Hamsters have cheek pouches to store food, right now your wondering whats the point if they have a cage to store it already, in a corner or something, but in the wilderness they have cheek pouches to store food during winters so they can already have some stored food for the winter, they also do that to keep all the food warm for them, cool right?

Answer 5

Hamster are desert animals and need a way to carry food and bedding around without using their feet, so that in the case of danger they can rush off and still hang on to the food or bedding

Answer 6

They don't have pockets on their fur.

Their cheek make good pouches,
they hold things.

Answer 7

So they can fill'em up out on a forage, then empty'em out inside it's larder/stash. Saves a lot of extra trips back and forth...

Answer 8

So they can store and carry food in their mouths. As you can imagine, if predators want to eat you, it is good to be able to carry an amount of food away to eat in safety.

Answer 9

This means he has formed a relationship with you. He likes you! My pet has done this to me several times. It is an affectionate gesture. You have nothing to worry about...