Campbell's dwarf hamster has cheek pouches, which are an extension of the mouth, extending from the mouth all the way to the rear legs. Food is transferred into these pouches through the diastema. The inside of the pouch contains a large number of folds of dermal papillae. When the pouch is full, it extends and becomes part of the structure of the skin. By 11 days of age, the cheek pouches are fully grown and can carry objects up to the size of a sunflower seed. When the cheek pouches become full, they extend back to the shoulder blades, which restrict movement.