The African dormice (genus ''Graphiurus'') are
dormice that live throughout
sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
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, ''Graphiurus christyi''
*
Jentink's dormouse, ''Graphiurus crassicaudatus''
*
Johnston's African dormouse, ''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''
*
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''
*
Monard's dormouse
Monard's dormouse (''Graphiurus monardi'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and possibly Zambia. Its natural habitat is moist Central Zambezian miombo woodlands
The Central ...
, ''Graphiurus monardi''
*
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''
*
Nagtglas's African dormouse, ''Graphiurus nagtglasii''
*
Spectacled dormouse
The spectacled dormouse or ''namtap'' (''Graphiurus ocularis'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae, and one of four dormouse species endemic to South Africa.
It has a bushy, squirrel-like tail, a fairly short muzzle, small ears an ...
, ''Graphiurus ocularis''
*
Rock dormouse
The rock dormouse or flat-headed African dormouse (''Graphiurus platyops'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe where it lives among rocks in upland ar ...
, ''Graphiurus platyops''
*
Stone dormouse
The stone dormouse (''Graphiurus rupicola'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Namibia, South Africa, and possibly Angola. Its natural habitat is rocky areas in the Karoo. Though it has a limited range, it is a fairly ...
, ''Graphiurus rupicola''
*
Silent dormouse
The silent dormouse (''Graphiurus surdus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic ( ...
, ''Graphiurus surdus''
*''
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 ...
''
[Systematic Revision of Sub-Saharan African Dormice (Rodentia: Gliridae: Graphiurus) Part II: Description of a New Species of Graphiurus from the Central ]Congo Basin
The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...
, Including Morphological and Ecological Niche Comparisons with G. crassicaudatus and G. lorraineus
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 331 :314-355. 2009
'
Gallery
Image:Graphiurus_spec_-murinus-3.jpg, ''Graphiurus'' sp. (probably ''murinus'') – male
Image:Graphiurus_spec_-murinus-2.jpg, ''Graphiurus'' sp. (probably ''murinus'') – three males in a knot-hole
Image:Graphiurus_spec_-murinus-4.jpg, ''Graphiurus'' sp. (probably ''murinus'') – two adults eating a nectarine
References
Rodent genera
{{rodent-stub
