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Fat, or edible dormouse - MYOXUS GLIS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Dormouse": "Dormouse" is a misnomer from the French word "dormir," to sleep. These nocturnal animals are not in the mouse family, Muridae. They are often found sleeping during the day, hence their name.
Location: Southern and central Europe.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Broadleaf woodland, gardens, orchards; rarely found at an altitude of more than 3300 feet.
Description: The body is covered with a gray coat on the back and is white on the underside. Around the eyes there are two darker-colored markings. The tail is unusually bushy for a rodent. This dormouse grows to about a foot in length, with the tail making up about five of those inches. It weighs a little over six ounces.
Behavior: This dormouse feeds on berries, fruit, and insects, which it eats while holding them between its front feet. It is nocturnal but can sometimes be seen moving about in the daytime as well. It is very agile, and can even climb up and down relatively smooth surfaces with ease. In some instances several families unite to form a colony. In the autumn, before entering hibernation, and when food is plentiful, it accumulates a reserve of fat. Hibernation starts in September or October and is spent curled up (usually alone) in a tight ball in a tree hollow or in a burrow in the ground.
Reproduction: As soon as it rouses itself from its lethargy around April, the mating season starts. In a nest lined with moss and other plant material, the female gives birth to two to seven young, which reach their adult size within three months.
Go to the Rodents Page to learn more about all the gnawing animals.
Or go to the Dormouse Index to study other
dormice.
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