A dormouse is a
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Gliridae (this family is also variously called Myoxidae or Muscardinidae by different taxonomists). Dormice are nocturnal animals found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are named for their long, dormant
hibernation
Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...
period of six months or longer.
As only one species of dormouse – the
hazel dormouse
The hazel dormouse or common dormouse (''Muscardinus avellanarius'') is a small mammal and the only living species in the genus ''Muscardinus''.
Distribution and habitat
The hazel dormouse is native to northern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the ...
– is native to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, in everyday English usage "dormouse" can refer either to that one species or to the family as a whole.
The English name of the species derived from the
French ''dormeuse'', and the latter in turn possibly from the
Languedocien
Languedocien (French name, ), Languedocian or Lengadocian (), is an Occitan dialect spoken in rural parts of southern France such as Languedoc, Rouergue, Quercy, Agenais and Southern Périgord. It is sometimes also called Languedocien-Guyennai ...
''radourmeire''.
Etymology
Concerning the dormouse's name, etymonline says "long-tailed Old World rodent noted for its state of semi-hibernation in winter, early 15c., possibly from Anglo-French ''dormouse'' 'tending to be dormant' (from stem of ''dormir'' 'to sleep,' see ''dormant''), with the second element mistaken for ''mouse''; or perhaps it is from a Middle English dialectal compound of ''mouse'' (n.) and Middle French ''dormir''. French ''dormeuse'', fem. of ''dormeur'' 'sleeper' is attested only from 17c."
Characteristics
Dormice are small rodents, with body lengths between , and weight between . They are generally
mouse
A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...
-like in appearance, but with
fur
Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...
red, rather than scaly,
tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of certain kinds of animals’ bodies; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, r ...
s. They are largely
arboreal
Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...
, agile, and well adapted to climbing. Most species are
nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
. Dormice have an excellent sense of
hearing
Hearing, or auditory perception, is the ability to perceive sounds
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psycholog ...
and signal each other with a variety of vocalisations.
Dormice are
omnivorous
An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutri ...
, and typically feed on berries, flowers, fruits, insects, and nuts. They are unique among rodents in that they lack a
cecum
The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix (anatomy), appendix, to which i ...
, a part of the gut used in other species to ferment vegetable matter. Their
dental formula
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolo ...
is similar to that of
squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
s, although they often lack
premolar
The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ...
s:
Dormice breed once or occasionally twice each year, producing litters with an average of four young after a
gestation
Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregna ...
period of 22–24 days. They can live for as long as five years. The young are born hairless and helpless, and their eyes do not open until about 18 days after birth. They typically become sexually mature after the end of their first hibernation. Dormice live in small family groups, with home ranges that vary widely between species and depend on the availability of food.
[
]
Hibernation
One of the most notable characteristics of those dormice that live in temperate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
zones is hibernation. They can hibernate six months out of the year, or even longer if the weather does not become warm enough, sometimes waking for brief periods to eat food they had previously stored nearby. During the summer, they accumulate fat in their bodies to nourish them through the hibernation period.[
]
Relationship with humans
The edible dormouse
''Glis'' is a genus of rodent that contains two extant species, both known as edible dormice or fat dormice: the European edible dormouse ''(Glis glis'') and the Iranian edible dormouse (''Glis persicus''). It also contains a number of fossil spec ...
(''Glis glis'') was considered a delicacy in ancient Rome, either as a savoury appetizer or as a dessert (dipped in honey and poppy seeds). The Romans used a special kind of enclosure, a glirarium
A glirarium is a terracotta container used for keeping edible dormice. These animals were considered a delicacy in the Etruscan period and later in the Roman Empire.
Description
The container consists of a vessel, usually in terracotta, perfor ...
, to raise and fatten dormice for the table.[ It is still considered a delicacy in ]Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
and in several places in Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, namely Lika
Lika () is a traditional region of Croatia proper, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by ...
, and the islands of Hvar
Hvar (; Chakavian: ''Hvor'' or ''For'', el, Φάρος, Pharos, la, Pharia, it, Lesina) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast, lying between the islands of Brač, Vis and Korčula. Approximately long,
wi ...
and Brač
Brač is an island in the Adriatic Sea within Croatia, with an area of ,
making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. It is separated from the mainland by the Brač Channel, which is wide. The island's talle ...
. Dormouse fat was believed by the Elizabethans to induce sleep since the animal put on fat before hibernating.
In more recent years dormice have begun to enter the pet trade, though they are uncommon as pets and are considered an exotic pet
An exotic pet is a pet which is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or is generally thought of as a wild species rather than as a domesticated pet. The definition varies by culture, location, and over time—as animals become firmly enough esta ...
. The woodland dormouse
The woodland dormouse (''Graphiurus murinus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is native to southern and eastern Africa and is also known as the African dormouse, African dwarf dormouse, African pygmy dormouse, or colloquially ...
(''Graphiurus murinus)'' is the most commonly seen species in the pet trade. Asian garden dormice (''Eliomys melanurus'') are also occasionally kept as pets.
Evolution
The Gliridae are one of the oldest extant rodent families, with a fossil record dating back to the early Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...
. As currently understood, they descended in Europe from early Paleogene
The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...
ischyromyids such as ''Microparamys'' (''Sparnacomys'') ''chandoni''. The early and middle Eocene genus ''Eogliravus'' represents the earliest and most primitive glirid taxon; the oldest species, ''Eogliravus wildi'', is known from isolated teeth from the early Eocene of France and a complete specimen of the early middle Eocene of the Messel pit
The Messel pit (german: Grube Messel) is a disused quarry near the village of Messel (Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hesse) about southeast of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Bituminous shale was mined there. Because of its abundance of well-preserved ...
in Germany. They appear in Africa in the upper Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
and only relatively recently in Asia. Many types of extinct dormouse species have been identified. During the Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...
, giant dormice the size of large rats, ''Leithia melitensis
''Leithia'' is a genus of extinct giant dormice from the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Sicily. It is considered an example of island gigantism. ''Leithia melitensis'' is the largest known species of dormouse, living or extinct, being twice t ...
'', lived on the islands of Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
.
Classification
The family consists of 29 extant species, in three subfamilies and (arguably) nine genera:
Family Gliridae – Dormice
* Subfamily Glirinae
The Glirinae are a subfamily of dormice (Gliridae); it contains two extant genera, one being monotypic and the other containing two species:
Subfamily Glirinae
*Genus '' Glirulus''
**Japanese dormouse, ''Glirulus japonicus''
*Genus ''Glis
Gl ...
** Genus ''Glirulus
''Glirulus'' is a genus of dormouse. The only extanct species is the Japanese dormouse ''(Glirulus japonicus)'' but fossil species indicate that the genus was widespread in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a co ...
''
*** Japanese dormouse
The Japanese dormouse (''Glirulus japonicus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae endemic to Japan. It is the only extant species within the genus ''Glirulus''.Holden, M. E.. 2005. Family Gliridae. pp. 819–841 ''in'' Mammal ...
, ''Glirulus japonicus''
** Genus ''Glis
Glis was an electronic music project founded in 2001 by Shaun Frandsen of Seattle, WA. The band experienced several lineup changes and guest appearances, with frontman Shaun Frandsen acting as primary producer, vocalist, songwriter, and instrume ...
''
*** European edible dormouse
The European edible dormouse or European fat dormouse (''Glis glis'') is a large dormouse and one of only two living species in the genus ''Glis'', found in most of Europe and parts of western Asia. Its name comes from the Romans, who ate them as ...
, ''Glis glis''
***Iranian edible dormouse
The Iranian edible dormouse or Iranian fat dormouse (''Glis persicus'') is a species of dormouse native to Western Asia, Western and Central Asia. It is one of only two species in the genus ''Glis (genus), Glis''.
Taxonomy
It was long consider ...
, ''Glis persicus''
* Subfamily Graphiurinae
The African dormice (genus ''Graphiurus'') are dormice that live throughout sub-Saharan Africa in a variety of habitats. They are very agile climbers and have bushy tails. They eat invertebrates and small vertebrates.
Species
Genus ''Graphiurus' ...
** Genus ''Graphiurus
The African dormice (genus ''Graphiurus'') are dormice that live throughout sub-Saharan Africa in a variety of habitats. They are very agile climbers and have bushy tails. They eat invertebrates and small vertebrates.
Species
Genus ''Graphiurus' ...
'', African dormice
*** Angolan African dormouse
The Angolan African dormouse (''Graphiurus angolensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. Found in central and north Angola and western Zambia, it has been recorded from seven localities over an altitudinal range from above sea le ...
, ''Graphiurus angolensis''
*** Christy's dormouse
Christy's dormouse (''Graphiurus christyi'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Cameroon and Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RD ...
, ''Graphiurus christyi''
*** ''Graphiurus walterverheyeni
Walter Verheyen's African dormouse (''Graphiurus walterverheyeni'') is a monotypic species of rodent in the family Gliridae. From the Central Congolian lowland forests ecoregion in the central Congo Basin, it has been found in west-central Demo ...
''
*** Jentink's dormouse
Jentink's dormouse (''Graphiurus crassicaudatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo, and possibly Benin, Equatorial Guinea, and Sierra Leone
Sierra Leon ...
, ''Graphiurus crassicaudatus''
*** Johnston's African dormouse
The Johnston's African dormouse (''Graphiurus johnstoni'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is moist savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassla ...
, ''Graphiurus johnstoni''
*** Kellen's dormouse
Kellen's dormouse (''Graphiurus kelleni'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is native to tropical Africa where its range extends from the Gambia and Senegal to Kenya and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical ...
, ''Graphiurus kelleni''
*** Lorrain dormouse
The Lorrain dormouse (''Graphiurus lorraineus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural h ...
, ''Graphiurus lorraineus''
*** Monard's dormouse, ''Graphiurus monardi''
*** Nagtglas's African dormouse, ''Graphiurus nagtglasii''
*** Rock dormouse, ''Graphiurus platyops''
*** Silent dormouse, ''Graphiurus surdus''
*** Small-eared dormouse
The small-eared dormouse (''Graphiurus microtis'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambi ...
, ''Graphiurus microtis''
*** Spectacled dormouse, ''Graphiurus ocularis''
*** Stone dormouse, ''Graphiurus rupicola''
*** Woodland dormouse
The woodland dormouse (''Graphiurus murinus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is native to southern and eastern Africa and is also known as the African dormouse, African dwarf dormouse, African pygmy dormouse, or colloquially ...
, ''Graphiurus murinus''
* Subfamily Leithiinae
Leithiinae is a subfamily of dormice. It is named after the '' Leithia'', an extinct genus of giant dormouse from the Pleistocene of Sicily.
Classification
Subfamily Leithiinae
*Genus '' Chaetocauda''
**Chinese dormouse, ''Chaetocauda sichuanens ...
** Genus ''Chaetocauda
The Chinese dormouse or Sichuan dormouse (''Chaetocauda sichuanensis'') is a species of dormouse found in subalpine mixed forests in northern Sichuan, China, where it is known from Jiuzhaigou and Wanglang Nature Reserves. It is known only from tw ...
''
*** Chinese dormouse, ''Chaetocauda sichuanensis''
** Genus ''Dryomys
''Dryomys'' is a genus of dormouse. Collectively the members of the genus are referred to as forest dormice, although the type species also goes by the common name forest dormouse.
Species
The species within the genus ''Dryomys'' are:
*''Dryomys ...
''
*** Balochistan forest dormouse
The Balochistan forest dormouse (''Dryomys niethammeri'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is native to Pakistan.
Habitat
The Balochistan forest dormouse is found in juniper forest of Ziarat, however deforestation
Def ...
, ''Dryomys niethammeri''
*** Forest dormouse
The forest dormouse (''Dryomys nitedula'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae found in eastern Europe, the Balkans and parts of western Central Asia. It is categorized as being of least concern in the ''IUCN List of Threatened Specie ...
, ''Dryomys nitedula''
*** Woolly dormouse
The woolly dormouse (''Dryomys laniger'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae endemic to Turkey.
The woolly dormouse's range is restricted to south-west to eastern Anatolia along the Taurus Mountains. It lives in rocky and stony alpin ...
, ''Dryomys laniger''
** Genus ''Eliomys
''Eliomys'' ( grc-gre, Ἡλίομυς ''Hēlíomus'') is a genus of rodent in the family Gliridae.
It contains the following extant species:
* Asian garden dormouse, ''Eliomys melanurus''
* Maghreb garden dormouse, ''Eliomys munbyanus''
* Gard ...
'', garden dormice
***Asian garden dormouse
The Asian garden dormouse or large-eared garden dormouse, (''Eliomys melanurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey.
Its natural h ...
, ''Eliomys melanurus''
*** Garden dormouse
The garden dormouse (''Eliomys quercinus'') is a rodent in the dormouse family.
Characteristics
The garden dormouse is gray or brown, with a whitish underside. It has black eye markings and large ears. Its hair is short, and its tail has a whi ...
, ''Eliomys quercinus''
*** Maghreb garden dormouse
The Maghreb garden dormouse (''Eliomys munbyanus'') is a nocturnal species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara. Its natural habitats vary from humid forests to semi-deserts. It is a ...
, ''Eliomys munbyanus''
** Genus ''Hypnomys
''Hypnomys'', otherwise known as Balearic giant dormice, is an extinct genus of dormouse (Gliridae) in the subfamily Leithiinae. Its species are considered examples of insular gigantism. They were endemic to the Balearic Islands in the western Me ...
''† (Balearic dormouse)
*** Majorcan giant dormouse
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Balea ...
, ''Hypnomys morphaeus''†
*** Minorcan giant dormouse, ''Hypnomys mahonensis''†
** Genus ''Leithia
''Leithia'' is a genus of extinct giant dormice from the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Sicily. It is considered an example of island gigantism. ''Leithia melitensis'' is the largest known species of dormouse, living or extinct, being twi ...
''†
*** ''Leithia cartei''†
*** Maltese giant dormouse, ''Leithia melitensis''†
** Genus ''Muscardinus
The hazel dormouse or common dormouse (''Muscardinus avellanarius'') is a small mammal and the only living species in the genus ''Muscardinus''.
Distribution and habitat
The hazel dormouse is native to northern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the ...
''
*** Hazel dormouse
The hazel dormouse or common dormouse (''Muscardinus avellanarius'') is a small mammal and the only living species in the genus ''Muscardinus''.
Distribution and habitat
The hazel dormouse is native to northern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the ...
, ''Muscardinus avellanarius''
** Genus ''Myomimus
''Myomimus'' is a genus of rodent in the family Gliridae. It contains the following species:
* Masked mouse-tailed dormouse (''Myomimus personatus'' )
* Roach's mouse-tailed dormouse
The Roach's mouse-tailed dormouse or ground dormouse, also ...
'', mouse-tailed dormice
*** Masked mouse-tailed dormouse
The masked mouse-tailed dormouse (''Myomimus personatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Iran and Turkmenistan.
References
Sources
Further reading
*
*
*
*
Myomimus
Mammals described in 1924
Taxonomy ...
, ''Myomimus personatus''
*** Roach's mouse-tailed dormouse
The Roach's mouse-tailed dormouse or ground dormouse, also known simply as the mouse-tailed dormouse, (''Myomimus roachi'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Bulgaria, Turkey, and possibly the far east of Greece.
Dis ...
, ''Myomimus roachi''
*** Setzer's mouse-tailed dormouse, ''Myomimus setzeri''
** Genus ''Selevinia
The desert dormouse (''Selevinia betpakdalaensis'') is a species of rodent in the dormouse family, Gliridae. This species was formerly placed in its own family, Seleviniidae, but it is now considered to be a dormouse, monotypic within the genus ...
''
*** Desert dormouse
The desert dormouse (''Selevinia betpakdalaensis'') is a species of rodent in the dormouse family (biology), family, Gliridae. This species was formerly placed in its own family, Seleviniidae, but it is now considered to be a dormouse, Monotypic ...
, ''Selevinia betpakdalaensis''
Fossil species
* Subfamily Bransatoglirinae
** Genus '' Bransatoglis''
*** '' Bransatoglis adroveri'' Majorca, Early Oligocene
*** '' Bransatoglis planus'' Eurasia, Early Oligocene
** Genus '' Oligodyromys''
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
Glirarium.org
{{Authority control
Natural monuments of Japan
Extant Eocene first appearances