Cheek pouch
A pocket formed by the cheek lining that expands to hold food temporarily. Cheek pouches occur in several mammals and some birds.
Masticatory muscles: Muscles that move the jaw and help chew food. Their arrangement allows pouch-bearing animals to move food without swallowing it.
Hamster: A small rodent in the subfamily Cricetinae; many species have large cheek pouches. Hamsters are familiar examples of animals that carry food in expandable cheek pouches.
Mammalian anatomy: The structure of mammals, including their organs, tissues, and body systems. Mammalian cheek pouches are specialized structures of the mouth and face.
Crop (anatomy): An expanded part of the esophagus in some birds that temporarily stores food. A crop stores food internally, but lies along the digestive tract rather than in the cheek.
Buccinator muscle: A facial muscle that compresses the cheek and keeps food between the teeth during chewing. It helps manipulate food at the pouch opening and during chewing.
Chipmunk: A small striped squirrel in the tribe Marmotini, known for carrying food in cheek pouches. Its external cheek bulges make pouch use especially visible.
Oral mucosa: The moist mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth. The pouch interior is lined by oral tissue, though some species have fur-lined pouches.
Gular pouch: An expandable pouch of skin or throat tissue beneath the lower jaw in some animals. It can carry food or other material but is located under the throat, not inside the cheek.
Oral cavity: The space inside the mouth, bounded by the lips, cheeks, palate, and floor. A cheek pouch is an expandable part of the oral cavity.
Pocket gopher: A burrowing rodent with fur-lined external cheek pouches that open beside the mouth. Its pouches carry food while the animal digs and moves underground.