| Garden dormouse | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Gliridae |
| Genus: | Eliomys |
| Species: | E. quercinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Eliomys quercinus | |
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| Geographic range | |
| Synonyms | |
Mus quercinusLinnaeus, 1766 | |
The garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) is a species of dormouse native to Europe.
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 white tassel at the end. It is typically 10 to 15 cm (3.9 to 5.9 in) in head to body length, with a 8 to 14.5 cm (3.1 to 5.7 in) long tail. It weighs 60 to 140 g (2.1 to 4.9 oz).[ citation needed ]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification .(December 2020) |
In spite of its name, the garden dormouse's main habitat is the forest, though it can also be found in fruit-growing regions. It is particularly common in southern Europe, but its range extends into the north. Garden dormice are often found in the Alps, the Bavarian Forest, and the Ore Mountains.
The species is also present in northern Germany, but that population is apparently not capable of large-scale reproduction. In the Netherlands, it is almost extirpated: in 2007, researchers reported finding only nine animals in two woods in the province of Limburg, where it used to be common. They suggested this is a result of the landscape becoming increasingly monotonous and due to climate change, which they said interrupts hibernation. [2]
To draw attention to the limits of the adaptability, [3] the Swiss nature conservation organisation Pro Natura has named the garden dormouse "Animal of the Year" in 2022. [4] The same year, using camera traps and Spurentunnel (a tunnel-like device that forces animals to step into an ink container, and leave footprints), the first recorded sightings of garden dormice in more than 100 years were made in Büsserach. [5]
The garden dormouse is primarily nocturnal, sleeping in nests in trees during the day, with sometimes multiple individuals living in one nest. [6] Garden dormice are omnivorous, seasonally consuming both small animals—typically arthropods such as insects and millipedes, as well as gastropods like snails and slugs—and plant matter, usually fruit and seeds. [7] [8] Garden dormice are amongst the most carnivorous of all dormice and have been known to consume adult birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals, some of which is likely scavenged. Cannibalism has also been reported. [9]
The mating period lasts from April to June. During this time, the female indicates her readiness to mate by squeaking loudly. The young are usually born in litters of three to seven, after a gestation period of 23 days. Blind and naked at birth, they open their eyes after about 18 days, and are nursed until they are one month old. They become independent at two months of age, but do not reach sexual maturity until the next year. They have a life expectancy of about five years.
The garden dormouse is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Moniliformis siciliensis in Sicily. [10]
On the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, all of the several subspecies of garden dormouse are very rare. These are the Sardinian garden dormouse (E. q. sardus), the Sicilian garden dormouse (E. q. dichrurus), the Liparian garden dormouse (E. q. liparensis), the Balearic garden dormouse (E. q. gymnesicus) and the Formentera Island garden dormouse (E. q. ophiusae), which is notable for its larger size and all-black tail. [11] The populations of western Asia and north Africa, on the other hand, have recently been separated into their own species, Eliomys melanurus .
A dormouse is a rodent of the family Gliridae. Dormice are nocturnal animals found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are named for their long, dormant hibernation period of six months or longer.
The rodent family Platacanthomyidae, or Oriental dormice, includes the spiny dormice and the Chinese pygmy dormice. In spite of their appearance, these animals are not true dormice, but are part of the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. The platacanthomyids can be distinguished from the true dormice, because they have no premolars, giving them three cheek teeth, like their relatives, the Muroidea.
The European edible dormouse also known as the European dormouse or European fat dormouse 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. The common name comes from the Romans, who ate them as a delicacy.
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. It also contains a number of fossil species.
The hazel dormouse or common dormouse is a small dormouse species native to Europe and the only living species in the genus Muscardinus.
The Malabar spiny dormouse is a species of muroid rodent endemic to the Western Ghats of India. It is the only extant species in the genus Platacanthomys and although resembling a dormouse, it is not closely related. About the size of a brown rat, this arboreal species lives in tree holes in dense forest habitats in a small family group. They are distinguishable from other species in the area by their bushy tuft tip to the tail and the spiny fur on the back.
The European snow vole or snow vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It has dense, pale grey fur and a pale-coloured tail and can reach about 14 cm (5.5 in) long, with a tail which is 7 cm (2.8 in) long.
The Asian garden dormouse or large-eared garden dormouse, 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 habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas and gardens.
Eliomys is a genus of Palaearctic rodents in the family Gliridae, commonly known as garden dormice.
The masked mouse-tailed dormouse, also called Ognev's mouse-tailed dormouse, is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Iran and Turkmenistan.
Leithiinae is a subfamily of dormice. It is named after the Leithia, an extinct genus of giant dormouse from the Pleistocene of Sicily.
The forest dormouse 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 Species due to its wide range and stable population trend. Forest dormice have a diploid count (2n) of 48 chromosomes. Even though this species lives in a variety of geographic locations, its greatest population density is in the forests of central Moldova, in Transcaucasia, and in the mountains of Central Asia. In most other locations, population density of this species is rather low. Population density is dependent on many factors. But the main features that this species depends on for choosing a location are the presence of the appropriate food sources as well as good foliage that can be used for a habitat. The reason why the forests in central Moldova have the highest population density is they provide the largest diversity of food sources which are available throughout the year. This location also provides the best type of foliage for the forest dormice to build their nests as well as swing from branches. The combination of both of these aspects allows for this species to have its highest needs met. Therefore, during mating season they produce offspring who also stay in the same general area when they mature. It makes sense not to move from an area if it is providing for your most basic needs.
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 Mediterranean from the Early Pliocene until their extinction around 4,000 years ago. They first appeared in the fossil record on Mallorca during the Early Pliocene, presumably due to the Messinian salinity crisis causing a connection with mainland Europe. They later spread to Menorca, and a possible molar is also known from Ibiza. Hypnomys became extinct during the Holocene after human arrival on the Balearics. They were one of only three native land mammals to the islands at the time of human arrival, alongside the shrew Nesiotites and goat-antelope Myotragus.
Leithia is an extinct genus of giant dormice from the Pleistocene of 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 the size of any other known species.
The Iranian edible dormouse or Iranian fat dormouse is a species of dormouse native to Western and Central Asia. It is one of only two species in the genus Glis.
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