List of glirids

African dormouse, Graphiurus sp.

Gliridae is a family of small mammals in the order Rodentia and part of the Sciuromorpha suborder. Members of this family are called glirids or dormice. They are found in Europe, Africa, and western and central Asia, primarily in forests, savannas, and shrublands, though some species can be found in wetlands, deserts, or rocky areas. They range in size from Setzer's mouse-tailed dormouse, at 6 cm (2 in) plus a 6 cm (2 in) tail, to the European edible dormouse, at 19 cm (7 in) plus an 18 cm (7 in) tail. Glirids are omnivores and feed on fruit and nuts, as well as invertebrates, birds and their eggs, and small rodents. The desert dormouse feeds primarily on insects and spiders. ^[1] No glirids have population estimates, though none are categorized as endangered species or critically endangered.

The twenty-nine extant species of Gliridae are divided into three subfamilies: Glirinae, containing two species in two genera; Graphiurinae, containing a single genus of fifteen species; and Leithiinae, containing twelve species in six genera. A few extinct prehistoric glirid species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed. ^[2]

Conventions

IUCN Red List categories

Conservation status
EX	Extinct (0 species)
EW	Extinct in the wild (0 species)
CR	Critically endangered (0 species)
EN	Endangered (0 species)
VU	Vulnerable (3 species)
NT	Near threatened (0 species)
LC	Least concern (15 species)
Other categories
DD	Data deficient (11 species)
NE	Not evaluated (0 species)

Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the natalid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted.

Classification

Gliridae is a family consisting of twenty-nine species in nine genera. These genera are divided between three subfamilies: Glirinae, Graphiurinae, and Leithiinae.

Family Gliridae

• Subfamily Glirinae
  • Genus Glirulus (Japanese dormouse): one species
  • Genus Glis (European edible dormouse): one species
• Subfamily Graphiurinae
  • Genus Graphiurus (African dormice): fifteen species
• Subfamily Leithiinae
  • Genus Chaetocauda (Chinese dormouse): one species
  • Genus Dryomys (forest dormice): three species
  • Genus Eliomys (garden dormice): three species
  • Genus Muscardinus (hazel dormouse): one species
  • Genus Myomimus (mouse-tailed dormouse): three species
  • Genus Selevinia (desert dormouse): one species

Gliridae [3] Graphiurinae Graphiurus Glirinae Glirulus Glis Leithiinae Chaetocauda Muscardinus Myomimus Selevinia Dryomys Eliomys

Glirids

The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists. ^[4]

Subfamily Glirinae

Main article: Glirinae

Genus Glirulus – Thomas, 1906 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Japanese dormouse	G. japonicus (Schinz, 1845)	Japan	Size: 6–10 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 3–6 cm (1–2 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest [6]	LC  Unknown [6]

Genus Glis – Brisson, 1762 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
European edible dormouse	G. glis (Linnaeus, 1766)	Europe and western Asia	Size: 13–19 cm (5–7 in) long, plus 10–18 cm (4–7 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest and shrubland [7]	LC  Unknown [7]

Subfamily Graphiurinae

Main article: Graphiurinae

Genus Graphiurus – Smuts, 1832 – fifteen species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Angolan African dormouse	G. angolensis De Winton, 1897	Angola and Zambia	Size: 7–12 cm (3–5 in) long, plus 7–10 cm (3–4 in) tail [8] Habitat: Forest [9]	DD  Unknown [9]
Christy's dormouse	G. christyi Dollman, 1914	Central Africa	Size: 8–11 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 7–10 cm (3–4 in) tail [8] Habitat: Forest [10]	LC  Unknown [10]
Jentink's dormouse	G. crassicaudatus (Jentink, 1888)	Western Africa	Size: 8–10 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 5–7 cm (2–3 in) tail [8] Habitat: Forest [11]	DD  Unknown [11]
Johnston's African dormouse	G. johnstoni Thomas, 1898	Malawi	Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 6–8 cm (2–3 in) tail [8] Habitat: Savanna [12]	DD  Unknown [12]
Kellen's dormouse	G. kelleni (Reuvens, 1890)	Scattered Sub-Saharan Africa	Size: 7–10 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 5–9 cm (2–4 in) tail [8] Habitat: Savanna and forest [13]	LC  Unknown [13]
Lorrain dormouse	G. lorraineus Dollman, 1910	Western and central Africa	Size: 7–10 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 5–8 cm (2–3 in) tail [8] Habitat: Savanna and forest [14]	LC  Unknown [14]
Monard's dormouse	G. monardi (St. Leger, 1936)	South-central Africa	Size: About 16 cm (6 in) long, plus about 13 cm (5 in) tail [8] Habitat: Savanna [15]	DD  Unknown [15]
Nagtglas's African dormouse	G. nagtglasii Jentink, 1888	Western Africa	Size: 12–16 cm (5–6 in) long, plus 6–13 cm (2–5 in) tail [8] Habitat: Forest [16]	LC  Unknown [16]
Rock dormouse	G. platyops Thomas, 1897	Southern Africa	Size: 9–13 cm (4–5 in) long, plus 6–10 cm (2–4 in) tail [8] Habitat: Forest and rocky areas [17]	LC  Unknown [17]
Silent dormouse	G. surdus Dollman, 1912	Western Africa	Size: 8–11 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 6–9 cm (2–4 in) tail [8] Habitat: Forest [18]	DD  Unknown [18]
Small-eared dormouse	G. microtis (Noack, 1887)	Scattered Sub-Saharan Africa	Size: 7–12 cm (3–5 in) long, plus 6–9 cm (2–4 in) tail [8] Habitat: Forest, savanna, and shrubland [19]	LC  Unknown [19]
Spectacled dormouse	G. ocularis (Smith, 1829)	South Africa	Size: 11–15 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tail [8] Habitat: Shrubland and rocky areas [20]	LC  Unknown [20]
Stone dormouse	G. rupicola (Thomas & Hinton, 1925)	Namibia and South Africa	Size: 10–12 cm (4–5 in) long, plus 9–12 cm (4–5 in) tail [8] Habitat: Rocky areas [21]	LC  Unknown [21]
Walter Verheyen's African dormouse	G. walterverheyeni Holden & Levine, 2009	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Size: About 7 cm (3 in) long, plus about 6 cm (2 in) tail [8] Habitat: Forest [22]	DD  Unknown [22]
Woodland dormouse	G. murinus (Desmarest, 1822)	Eastern and southern Africa	Size: 8–12 cm (3–5 in) long, plus 7–9 cm (3–4 in) tail [8] Habitat: Inland wetlands, grassland, shrubland, savanna, and forest [23]	LC  Unknown [23]

Subfamily Leithiinae

Main article: Leithiinae

Genus Chaetocauda – Wang, 1985 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Chinese dormouse	C. sichuanensis Wang, 1985	Central China	Size: 9–10 cm (4–4 in) long, plus 9–11 cm (4–4 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest [24]	DD  Unknown [24]

Genus Dryomys – Thomas, 1905 – three species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Balochistan forest dormouse	D. niethammeri Holden, 1996	Central Pakistan	Size: 9–11 cm (4–4 in) long, plus about 9 cm (4 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest [25]	VU  Unknown [25]
Forest dormouse	D. nitedula (Pallas, 1778)	Eastern Europe and western and central Asia	Size: 7–11 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 6–11 cm (2–4 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and rocky areas [26]	LC  Unknown [26]
Woolly dormouse	D. laniger Felten & Storch, 1968	Turkey	Size: 8–10 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 4–8 cm (2–3 in) tail [5] Habitat: Rocky areas [27]	DD  Unknown [27]

Genus Eliomys – Wagner, 1840 – three species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Asian garden dormouse	E. melanurus (Wagner, 1839)	Northern Africa and western Asia	Size: 11–15 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 10–14 cm (4–6 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and rocky areas [28]	LC  Unknown [28]
Garden dormouse	E. quercinus (Linnaeus, 1766)	Europe and western Asia	Size: 9–12 cm (4–5 in) long, plus 8–11 cm (3–4 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest and rocky areas [29]	VU  Unknown [29]
Maghreb garden dormouse	E. munbyanus (Pomel, 1856)	Northern Africa	Size: 10–14 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 9–12 cm (4–5 in) tail [5] Habitat: Coastal marine, desert, rocky areas, shrubland, and forest [30]	LC  Unknown [30]

Genus Muscardinus – Kaup, 1829 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Hazel dormouse	M. avellanarius (Linnaeus, 1758)	Europe and western Asia	Size: 6–10 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 5–9 cm (2–4 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest [31]	LC  Unknown [31]

Genus Myomimus – Ogniov, 1924 – three species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Masked mouse-tailed dormouse	M. personatus Ogniov, 1924	West-central Asia	Size: 7–8 cm (3–3 in) long, plus 5–7 cm (2–3 in) tail [5] Habitat: Shrubland [32]	DD  Unknown [32]
Roach's mouse-tailed dormouse	M. roachi (Bate, 1937)	Southeastern Europe and Turkey	Size: 8–14 cm (3–6 in) long, plus 6–10 cm (2–4 in) tail [5] Habitat: Shrubland and unknown [33]	VU  Unknown [33]
Setzer's mouse-tailed dormouse	M. setzeri Rossolimo, 1976	Western Asia	Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 6–7 cm (2–3 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest and savanna [34]	DD  Unknown [34]

Genus Selevinia – Belosludov & Bazhanov, 1939 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Desert dormouse	S. betpakdalaensis Belosludov & Bazhanov, 1939	Kazakhstan	Size: 7–10 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 5–8 cm (2–3 in) tail [5] Habitat: Desert [35]	DD  Unknown [35]

References

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2. "Fossilworks: Gliridae". Paleobiology Database . University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
3. Petrova, T. V.; Panitsina, V. A.; Bodrov, S. Y.; Abramson, N. I. (2024). "The mitochondrial genome of the critically endangered enigmatic Kazakhstani endemic Selevinia betpakdalaensis (Rodentia: Gliridae) and its phylogenetic relationships with other dormouse species". Scientific Reports . 14 (1). doi:10.1038/s41598-024-73703-2. PMC   11436627 . PMID   39333293.
4. Wilson, Reeder, pp. 819-841
5. Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, p. 403
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8. Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, p. 402
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21. Schlitter, D. (2016). "Graphiurus rupicola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T9492A22220235. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T9492A22220235.en .
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25. Kennerley, R. (2017). "Dryomys niethammeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T40767A22223133. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T40767A22223133.en .
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30. Amori, G.; Hutterer, R.; Kryštufek, B.; Yigit, N. (2022). "Eliomys munbyanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T136469A22223369. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T136469A22223369.en .
31. Hutterer, R.; Kryštufek, B.; Yigit, N.; Mitsainas, G.; Meinig, H.; Juškaitis, R. (2021) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Muscardinus avellanarius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T13992A197519168. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T13992A197519168.en .
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33. Dando, T. (2022). "Myomimus roachi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T14087A90688844. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T14087A90688844.en .
34. Kennerley, R.; Kryštufek, B. (2019). "Myomimus setzeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T14089A22222049. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T14089A22222049.en .
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Sources

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• Holden, Mary Ellen (2005). Wilson, Don E.; Reeder, DeeAnn M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World . Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0.