The Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), also known as the Golden hamster, has been extinct in its original habitat (Aleppo, Syria) since probably 1980. But, because of its popularity as a pet, escaped Syrian hamsters have created a large wild population in the British Isles. It was however its use as the fourth most widely used species in research, after rats, mice and humans, that saved the Syrian hamster from extinction. Today all Syrian hamsters are derived from either the original group taken to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1930, or from the group taken in 1979 to the University of Texas-Houston. This is an example of how research can prevent the extinction of a species.

Syrian hamsters are most widely used in research involving chronobiology (study of temporal patterns in biology), endocrinology, and reproduction. They also have the unique characteristic that they are the mammals with the simplest histocompatibility system. One can transplant an organ from one Syrian hamster to another without the need to immunosuppress either one. The transplanted organ survives without any damage to it or the host.

Syrian hamsters are long-photperiod animals. They reproduce during seasons with long days with over 12.5 hours of light per day. When daylight becomes scarce, they will hibernate. This hibernation is not total, and Syrian hamsters are quite cranky during that time. Female Syrian hamsters are the dominant gender, and are larger than males. In captivity, a male should not be housed alone with a female for more than a day. Otherwise the female might kill it. Also, the handling of females with litters should be kept a a minimum. Otherwise they might kill the litter. Since hamsters are dessert animals their waste is very moisture conservative. This allows one to leave the female and her litter undisturbed until the pups are weaned at then end of the third week of life.

Syrian hamsters make excellent pets once they have become used to being handled by humans. However, since they have powerfull jaws, one should be certain that the animal in question is used to humans before handling it barehanded.