Rodent - forest dormouse: description with photos and videos, interesting facts about the life of forest dormouse. Attitude towards children Sonya is not very suitable for children as pets In the photo, garden dormouse
Dormouse dormouse (Glis glis) is a common inhabitant of European broad-leaved forests, but little known due to natural secrecy and nocturnal lifestyle. Today, sleepyheads are also found at home, although quite rarely, because in deep hibernation the animals spend 7-8 months a year, and during the active period of their lives they are awake only at night and are not too inclined to communicate with humans.
The dormouse family, or dormouse, is one of the most ancient groups of modern rodents, numbering 28 species today and living in Europe, Asia and Africa. Four types of dormouse live in Russia: hazel dormouse, garden dormouse, forest dormouse and dormouse. Today we will talk about the dormouse - the largest representative of the family.
The habitat of the dormouse
The dormouse is found in most of Europe and in Asia Minor. In Russia, this species inhabits the middle zone and more southern regions. Most numerous in the Caucasus, Transcaucasia and the Carpathians. Lives in dense forests dominated by oak, beech, hornbeam, with an admixture of wild fruit trees and rich undergrowth of hazel, hawthorn, dogwood. Often found in orchards and vineyards. It eschews forests with high humidity, young plantations and shrubs, except for walnuts. Prefers large forest areas, very rare in island forests.
Description sony regiment, photo
Dormouse-shelf - the largest representative of dormouse, outwardly resembles a squirrel, but without tassels on the ears. The body length is up to 18 cm, the tail is 10-15 cm, the animal weighs about 170 g. They have sharp claws on their paws that help them climb trees better.
The fur of the dormouse-shelf consists of a shiny awn, the height of which ranges from 19 to 23 mm, and of a thick, rather high underfur. In different specimens, the color of the fur undergoes strong changes, which are also observed depending on the geographical habitat, on the season, and on the degree of hairiness of the animal. The photo of the sony regiment shows not long, but rather lush fur.
Generally the overall tone of the entire upper body is ash gray with a darker ridge. On the sides it is somewhat lighter, with a slight brownish tinge. The underfur of the upper side of the body is colored in dark brownish-gray tones. The guard hairs of the back, excluding the completely dark hairs along the ridge, are slate-gray, but many of them have brown tips. An abundance or a small amount of the latter changes color from more uniformly gray to gray with a strong brown coating. The gray coloration of the entire upper half of the body and head with narrow stripes also descends along the outer side of the fore and hind limbs. In contrast to the color of the back, the animal's abdomen, chest, throat, cheeks and inner side of the limbs are light gray, almost white. Through the general light, and sometimes white tone of the lower abdominal side, the slate-gray color of the basal parts of the hair is slightly translucent. The long tail on the upper side, densely covered with fluffy hair, in its basal half usually corresponds in color to the color of the back, while the rest of it is either intensely dark or, on the contrary, light brown. The lower part of the tail is much lighter with an even lighter stripe along the parting.
Lifestyle of a sony regiment
A characteristic feature of the biology of the shelf is the shortness of the active period - only 4 months a year (in some cases a little more), the remaining 8 months the shelf spends in deep hibernation. The animal hibernates in October-November, and wakes up in May-June, sometimes even in July.
Dormouse-dormouse more than others is adapted to an arboreal way of life, it rarely descends to the ground. Nests are usually arranged in hollows or use old squirrel nests, sometimes litters settle in old rotten stumps, under fallen trunks or in voids among stones.
Shelves prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle, but often winter in groups, gathering in one hollow - it's warmer.
Sonya polchok is a nocturnal animal. Unlike the "crepuscular" species, the activity of the regiment intensifies with the onset of total darkness and continues until the first signs of dawn. There is usually no interruption of activity during the night. Nocturnal lifestyle, i.e. the confinement of activity only to the time of complete darkness makes the half hour dependent on the length of the night, the value of which fluctuates rather sharply in the summer-autumn period. If in the second half of June the regiment can be active for an average of six and a half hours, then in the future its activity gradually increases and already in mid-August it is 9 hours, and by the time it goes into hibernation, the time of possible activity increases to 13 hours. Can a dormouse be active in daylight? This question can be answered in the affirmative. Young animals are especially often encountered during the day at the beginning of their independent life. A home-kept regiment often comes out of its hiding place during the day and feeds.
The nocturnal lifestyle of the regiment, the short duration of the active periods and living in the upper tiers of the forest determine that the regiment is far from the first place in the diet of almost all predatory animals and birds. Nevertheless, the dormouse has enough enemies: martens, weasels, ferrets, lynxes, and cats near human habitation. Of the birds, owls and owls hunt the animal.
reproduction
Shortly after emerging from hibernation, the dormouse begins the breeding season. At this time, the areas of the forest inhabited by the regiment are filled with the noise and squeak of running and fighting males. A lively state of regiments is observed throughout July.
The duration of the gestation period in the dormouse can be considered equal to 20-25 days, which differs significantly from the other two forest rodents - (30-35 days) and squirrels (35-40 days). There are usually 3-5 cubs in a litter. The weight of newborns is on average 2.5 g, body length - 30 mm. Cubs grow and develop very quickly; on the seventh day of life, they increase in weight by more than 4 times and are already beginning to grow hair. The teeth erupt early: in a week-old regiment, the lower incisors are already showing, on the 20th day - the upper incisors, the ears open and the eyes begin to open. At the same time, there is a rapid growth of wool and fouling of tail hair. For about 25-30 days, babies feed on mother's milk, and then they switch to independent nutrition and differ from adults only in their small size, the nature of the hairline, and the state of the dental system.
What does the dormouse eat?
The basis of the diet of the regiments is plant food - vegetative parts of plants, seeds and fruits (beech nuts, acorns, hazelnuts, apples, pears, cherries, grapes, etc.).
The animal begins to eat beech fruits still unripe, during the formation of the nucleus, and uses this food until it falls off. Eating only the seed, the polchok very characteristically gnaws through the plush from its cone-shaped side. Acorns are also included in the diet of the animal, but to a lesser extent than beech nuts.
Dormouse eat apples and pears with appetite, and, like beech fruits, they can eat them completely unripe. In the second half of June, in the southern regions, already ripe cherries serve as the main food for the regiment. Eating only the pulp of berries, the regiment destroys them extremely quickly. Hazelnuts are eaten in groups from the beginning of full ripening to fall. Very willingly eats dormouse and walnut. The green parts of the plants, on which the regiment collects fruits, the animal also does not ignore. From animal food, the regiment sometimes eats slugs, caterpillars, beetles and centipedes.Under natural conditions, dormice regiments rarely live more than three years; at home, their age is somewhat longer.
In contact with
Forest dormouse - from lat. Dryomys nitedula is a rodent from the dormouse family, small in size (about 10 cm long) and small in weight (about 40 grams). The color of the coat is usually in gray tones, but in different habitats there may be different shades. The coat is short, soft and thick. The forest dormouse has a long fluffy tail (tail length - from 50 to 115 mm), which changes its color in case of danger, since it has a large number of blood vessels. The sharp muzzle and the shape of the ears resembles a squirrel, but without tassels on the ears, and, moreover, the forest dormouse is much smaller than the squirrel in size.
The forest dormouse lives mainly on a tree or in a bush, but it can also be seen on the ground. The average life expectancy is three years, but in good home conditions, forest dormouse can live up to five years. Forest dormouse loves berries and fruits, nuts and acorns, buds and bark of young shoots, tree seeds, insects and sometimes small animals: chicks, mice, voles and their cubs. It is predominantly nocturnal and active in the evening and at night, but at home it can reorganize. In winter, as a rule, forest dormouse hibernates. Males wake up earlier than females and feed heavily at first, trying to regain winter weight loss. Somewhere in a week, the females wake up and prepare for breeding. Basically, this happens in the spring, once a year, but, depending on the habitat, a second stage in the fall is possible. The gestation period in females takes about a month, childbirth, like other activities, mainly occurs at night.
Below are interesting photos of forest dormouse:
Interesting facts about the life of forest dormouse
The forest dormouse is a rather rare animal, and in this regard, most of the species were listed in the Red Book, and some specimens appeared in the living corners of educational institutions and from private owners. But, despite the liveliness of the nature of the forest dormouse, it is still not recommended for children as a pet. Taming a dormouse is a rather complicated process and the forest dormouse is unlikely to become an absolute pet.
Video: Forest dormouse on bait
Sonya is not only a characteristic of a person who loves to sleep, it is also the name of a cute animal, to which the adjective “kawaii” suggests itself. As a pet, dormouse has recently been confidently pushing stars such as chinchilla or dwarf. With the features of the content of this rodent, we will try to figure it out.
What does it look like?
The dormice or dormice family (Gliridae) belongs to the order of rodents. These are mostly small animals, but the body length of the largest species can reach 20 cm. Their tail, as a rule, is slightly shorter than the body. Some species lead a predominantly terrestrial lifestyle, they are distinguished by a half-naked or bare tail and are very similar in appearance to ordinary mice. Species that prefer life on trees have bushy tails and look like. Sometimes these animals are called rat squirrels, but they are completely different from rats. These small rodents are distributed over vast areas. They can be found in Europe, in northern Africa, in Asia Minor and Central, in the Altai Mountains, in Japan. There is also a South African species. 
Did you know? The Japanese dormouse is the smallest in the dormouse family (body size up to 8 cm, weighs about 20 g) and has the ability to run upside down through the branches. It feeds mainly on nectar and pollen.
Oreshnikovaya
Of all the dormouse species, this species is most adapted to life on trees. The body length of the animal reaches 15 cm, the tail is fluffy, with a tassel at the end. The coat of the animal is red, with an ocher or reddish tinge. Below it is lighter, has a fawn tint. Hazel dormouse prefers deciduous and mixed forests. She usually arranges several nests on branches or in hollows. He likes to capture birdhouses, and he can expel the birds that have occupied them. The diet consists of plant foods: hazelnuts, chestnuts, acorns, beech and lime nuts, berries and fruits. In autumn, when the air temperature drops to +15 °C, hazel dormouse goes into hibernation, from which it wakes up in April or May.
Sadovaya
This type of dormouse can be identified by a pointed muzzle. The length of the body of the animal reaches 16 cm. It has a fluffy tail with a tassel at the end, the fur in the upper part of the body is gray or brown, white below, a black strip is observed from the eye to the ear. Favorite habitats of garden dormouse are old gardens, parks and deciduous forests. This species is omnivorous, its representatives, along with a variety of fruits and berries, eat insects, small rodents, chicks, and bird eggs. Nests are preferred to be built on branches or in hollows of trees. Winter hibernation lasts 5-6 months.
Lesnaya
Outwardly, this species resembles garden dormouse, but is smaller in size. The body length of an adult does not exceed 12 cm. The tail is fluffy, the color of the upper body is brownish or gray, the lower part is light gray or white. The head is decorated with a strip of dark fur that runs from the nose to the ear. The forest dormouse settles in broad-leaved or mixed forests, arranges dwellings in hollows, on branches, in abandoned bird nests. The animal is omnivorous, in addition to plant foods, such as various fruits, nuts, etc., it feeds on insects, destroys bird nests, eating eggs and even chicks. In autumn, hibernation begins, from which the animal emerges at the end of April or in May.
Polchok
This species is the largest of all dormouse. It can be mistaken for a small squirrel. In length, the body of the animal can reach 20 cm, its tail is fluffy, slightly less than the size of the body. Fur from above can be gray or gray-brown in color, from below the color changes to light gray or white. Dark rings may appear around the eyes. Dormouse dormouse loves broad-leaved and mixed forests. Prefers such areas of the forest, where there are many wild fruit trees and shrubs with edible fruits (hazelnut, hawthorn, honeysuckle, etc.). Nests, as a rule, equip in hollows. Sometimes it can build a nest among stones or under fallen trees. Often settles in birdhouses, expelling birds from them. The regiment feeds exclusively on plant foods - fruits, seeds, berries. It hibernates in autumn, awakens only in May, and even in June.
Did you know? Aristotle described the dormouse and garden dormouse. He called these animals "eleos", which can be translated from ancient Greek as "beautiful" or "graceful".
Features of the content of the house
The necessary conditions
A spacious cage is suitable for keeping this little animal, and an aviary is even better. If the dimensions of the enclosure allow, then you can create elements of a natural landscape in it: line the bottom with moss, place thick branches inside, or even plant fruit bushes in pots. It is necessary to take care of the conditions for hibernation of the animal in advance - put a path in the form of a pipe segment into the prepared mink.
Important! Cleaning the cage or enclosure where the animals are kept should be done daily. Periodically it is necessary to carry out disinfection. Without these procedures, animals can get sick, and the cage will become a source of an unpleasant odor.
Requirements for the cage and its placement
The minimum size of a cage suitable for keeping dormouse is 50 × 30 × 30 cm. It must be made entirely of metal, otherwise the rodent will easily ruin it. The best cage shape is rectangular, which is easier to clean. The cage must be equipped with an autodrinker, a feeder, it is advisable to install a running wheel. Sawdust can be used as a filler. When placing a cage with these rodents, it should be taken into account that they are very active at night and the noise they make can interfere with people's sleep. In addition, the cage should be located in a place well lit by daylight, but it should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Do not place electrical devices and heating devices nearby. 
Pet feeding
The basis of the diet of domestic dormouse is plant foods. These are various fruits, nuts, cereals, grains. Periodically, animal food should be given: eggs, cottage cheese, boiled meat, insects. From insects, animals prefer flour worms. Animals eat often and in large quantities, this can even lead to unwanted obesity. However, on the eve of hibernation, excess fat will not hurt animals.
Caring for dormouse is simple, you only need to clean the cage daily, feed and water the animals on time. The animals are in good health, but they can get sick. Signs of the disease are the refusal of the animal to eat, untidy fur, apathy. In this case, you need to show the pet to the veterinarian.dormice reproduction
Dormouse's reproductive instinct wakes up in the spring, immediately after hibernation is completed. Females carry babies for 3-4 weeks. From 2 to 10 cubs are born. The feeding period lasts approximately 3 weeks. 
Important! Already at the age of 1 month, the cubs become sexually mature, at this age it is better to move them away from their parents. Otherwise, uncontrolled reproduction of animals may begin.
Sonya at home: pros and cons
In favor of home maintenance, dormouse speaks of their good looks and simple rules of care. The disadvantages can be considered a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle, the need for daily cleaning of the cage and falling into hibernation. As we have seen, Sonya is quite easy to keep as a pet. These handsome men can be a good alternative to such "stars" of zoo corners as or chinchillas.
If you want to know more about the life of dormouse in nature, about their friends and enemies, then click here: Dormouse in nature
Of all the species of dormouse living in the European part, hazel dormouse is the most suitable for keeping in a zoo corner - an animal resembling a miniature squirrel, slightly smaller than a gray rat, with a long fluffy tail. The ears are short, with rounded tips, covered with sparse hair; the soles of the hind feet are bare, the heels are covered with short hair. The back is smoky-gray with a brownish tint and a silvery coating. The belly and chest are white; paws pale yellowish; the tail is gray above, whitish below. The hairline is long and lush. Dormouse inhabits mainly forest areas dominated by oak, beech, walnut, wild fruit trees, and hazel.
hazel dormouse
Hazel dormouse feeds on acorns, walnuts, chestnuts, beech nuts, various berries and fruits. Animal feed in her diet plays a secondary role.
Sonya is a fast, restless animal, active from dusk until morning. Lives mainly in trees; perfectly climbs trunks and thin branches; in a jump from one tree to another Covers a distance of up to 7-10 m. Nests are made from dry leaves and grass in the hollows of old trees, in artificial structures for birds, much less often in the EU 
natural voids among stones and under roots. The nest has a spherical shape and is used for rest and rearing of offspring.
The breeding season starts in May and ends in October. The female brings 2 litters of 3-5 cubs in each season. Dormouse hibernates from October to May. They rarely bite when caught.
It is not difficult to keep hazel dormouse in a home zoo corner. The cage, as for other rodents, should be metal, large in size, so that the animals have enough space for walking. A nest box or a stump of a tree with a natural hollow with a bedding of hay, straw, dry leaves is installed in it.
Dormouse, contained in the enclosure, sometimes bring offspring. For hatching, the male and female build nests larger than for rest, sizes - 15-20 cm in diameter. Immediately after mating, the female drives the male out of the nest and raises the offspring alone. Pregnancy lasts 21-24 days. Cubs at the age of 13-14 days become covered with wool, after another 3 days they open their eyes and after 4 weeks they begin to leave the nest. They become completely independent at 1.5 months. Sexual maturity in young individuals occurs in the same year.
By autumn, dormice accumulate a thick layer of subcutaneous fat and fall into hibernation, during which it loses almost half of its original weight. Mild winters for many animals end tragically: often waking up, they lose a lot of energy and die from exhaustion.
In captivity, at temperatures above 10°C, dormice are active all winter, but, being nocturnal animals, they usually sleep all day. The average life expectancy of this rodent is 4 years.
Dormouse is fed with songbird feed mixture, oatmeal, nuts, acorns, vegetables and berries. Diversify the nutrition of animal feed with minced meat, insects and their larvae. The cage should always have clean, room temperature water.
Garden dormouse. The animal is the same size as the hazel dormouse. The muzzle is pointed; the ears are large, rounded, narrow at the base. The tail is covered with thick hair: in its main part - short, at the end - a wide, flat brush of long hair. The back is bright, brownish-brown; neck, chest, belly, paws and ears are white; black stripes run from the eyes to the base of the ears. In Russia, it lives in the middle and southern strips of the European part. It inhabits mixed and broad-leaved forests with a predominance of oak, linden, maple and dense undergrowth of bird cherry, mountain ash, hazel and wild rose. Prefers to settle on the edges, clearings and old burnt areas; found in gardens, city parks and even in human dwellings located near the forest. Omnivorous. It feeds on various seeds and berries, insects, mollusks, bird eggs. Settling near orchards, it willingly absorbs large quantities of apples, pears, peaches, cherries, grapes along with seeds. With the dexterity of squirrels and the cunning of mice, dormouse penetrates everywhere. Once in the room where the food is stored, they do not disdain anything: they gnaw the crusts of bread, slide the lids off the pots and feast on milk, cream and sour cream. Vegetable food in the diet of garden dormouse does not occupy a leading place, but the addiction to animal food is clearly seen in all parts of the range. Insects and other invertebrates serve as the basis of nutrition, being easy and affordable prey. In coniferous-mixed and mixed forests, insect dormouse prefers dung beetles, bronze beetles, beetles, and click beetles. Sonya reacts very quickly to any moving object and seeks to grab it, so small vertebrates, birds, especially hollow-nesting birds, also become its prey. In the nests of dormouse, you can always see bird feathers, wool, remnants of rodent skins, chitinous cover and beetle legs in abundance.
At home, garden dormouse should be kept in fairly spacious enclosures made of fine and durable mesh. Moss, turf, snags, hollow tree trunks are laid at the bottom - all this can serve as a refuge, a place for rest and solitude while eating tasty food. Since these animals need to climb, jump, run along branches, the enclosure can be small in width, but not less than 1 m in height and 1.5 m in length. Sony get along well with each other, almost never quarrel and often rest in the same shelter. In addition to plant foods, they should be given animal food: butterfly pupae, crickets, large cockroaches, mealworms, minced meat and a boiled egg. Very well, these animals eat all kinds of nutrient mixtures with the addition of milk powder. They are given water daily, regardless of the availability of succulent food.
Garden dormice breed in captivity and raise offspring. Females who have lived in the home zoo for several years can bring cubs in different seasons. They, despite their "carnivore", are usually not aggressive, moreover, even after a short stay in the cage, they become so fat that they lose their inherent mobility. Taken in the hands of Sonya, sitting comfortably, sits on her hind legs, calmly allows you to do any painless "manipulations" with yourself. However, for greater safety, of course, it is best to take animals with gloves.
Forest dormouse. A small, graceful animal with a long fluffy tail. The muzzle is sharp, the ears are rounded, the tail is noticeably thickened, evenly covered with elongated hair. The coloration of the back is reddish-ocher, somewhat grayer on the sides, the cheeks, neck, chest and belly are grayish-yellow; the tail is dirty gray, often with a whitish end, black stripes pass on the head from the nose through the eyes to the ears.
Inhabits mixed and broad-leaved forests, gardens, overgrown ravines. Distributed in the Middle East and in the south of Russia, in the mountains of Central Asia, in Altai.
It feeds on berries and their seeds, fruits, nuts, acorns, seeds and buds of various trees, insects, less often bird eggs.
Forest dormouse mainly lives on trees and shrubs, but often descends to the ground. It usually builds nests of a spherical shape in hollows of trees, on branches of shrubs at a height of 0.25 m to 12 m. Settles in old bird nests and in burrows or natural voids under the roots. Males and single females usually build their shelters carelessly: the frame is loose, translucent, the lining may be absent. But brood nests have an outer frame made of thin twigs or the tops of shoots of shrubs, between which leaves, moss and dry grass are laid. It is strong enough and well protects the inner chamber, built of soft, delicate material - split oak, vegetable fluff, wool. Brood nests are always well camouflaged. In the southern regions, dormouse is placed on the shady side, and the elastic outer shell reliably hides the inlet.
Dormouse sleeps in winter. They wake up by the time of the final melting of snow and the establishment of positive temperatures - in April-May. The males are the first to wake up and begin to feed intensively, making up for energy losses during the long wintering. They are very excited, running around a lot, exploring the boundaries of their territory. After 7-10 days, females wake up, ready to breed. Pregnancy lasts 27-28 days. Childbirth most often occurs at night. Forest dormouse live on average 3 years. They are the most mobile of all species of this group of animals, which should not be forgotten while feeding them. Dormouse likes to rebuild their shelter, so there should be stocks of hay, straw, branches, etc. in the cage or aviary.
At any time of the year, dormouse willingly eats fresh branches, tearing off the bark, leaves, and buds from them. You can keep forest dormouse in a home zoo corner in large groups - usually they do not show aggression towards each other, but during collective wintering, hungry animals can eat a fellow sleeping nearby. Forest dormouse, taken young, quickly get used to the person and even take food from the hands. They can hang on the net for hours in the hope of getting some kind of treat - a flour worm, a beetle, a butterfly. One has only to bring it to the cage, as the animals immediately gather around the food, trying to get ahead of each other. Even during the rut, the company lives in the same shelter, although the males chase each other with a screech, but there are no bloody fights.
Sonya-shelf. The largest member of the dormice family. Body length 13-18 cm, tail about 10 cm. Ears are short, with rounded tips and sparse hair; the soles of the hind feet are bare, the heels are covered with short hair. The coloration of the back is smoky-gray with a brownish or silvery tint; the belly and chest are white; paws pale-yellow; tail gray above, whitish below. The hairline is long and fluffy.
The dormouse inhabits flat and mountain broad-leaved forests of the middle zone of the European part of Russia, the Caucasus. Preference is given to areas with a predominance of oak, beech, walnut and wild fruit trees. It feeds on acorns, walnuts, chestnuts, beech nuts, various berries and fruits. Animal feed is not of great importance. Animals love sweet ripe fruits and berries, so during feeding they try the fruit and, if it doesn’t suit their taste, they throw it away.
Dormouse dormouse leads a predominantly arboreal lifestyle and rarely descends to the ground. She perfectly climbs not only on trunks, but also on thin branches, easily jumps from one tree to another at a distance of up to 7-10 m. She arranges nests in hollows of old trees, artificial nesting places for birds, less often - in natural voids under snags. 
Mating begins in July. Pregnancy of a female lasts 20-25 days, females bring 1 litter per season, in which there are 3-10 cubs.
From November until the end of May-June of the following year, the dormouse is in deep hibernation. Often several animals hibernate in one nest, usually 4-8. Shelves wake up later than other types of dormouse, in different areas in different ways. In the Caucasus, for example, a mass awakening occurs in the second half of June: during this period, the fruits of cherry plum and mulberry ripen in the forests and gardens, which are mainly fed by the regiments. The males wake up first.
The rut period passes very rapidly, accompanied by endless running around, showdown. The forest in which the regiments live is filled with grumbling, chirping, grunting, sharp high-pitched calls, often ending with a whistle - this sound can be repeated at different intervals throughout the night. At this time, fights are possible between males.
Marriage relations in regiments after mating are not preserved, and the female alone brings up the offspring. Newborn animals are very active, but their development is rather slow. Ten-day-old regiments are covered with hair 6 mm long, the back and head are pigmented, the claws are dark in color, and the fingers are separated. They already have incisors. They become sighted on the 18-20th day, leave the nest at the age of about 45 days.
In home zoo corners, regiments are rarely kept, since these animals hibernate for about 7 months a year, stay awake at dusk and at night, and do not like to be watched. They hibernate even when they are kept in a warm room. In addition, captive regiments do not become tame, they show aggression towards humans and, if handled carelessly, they can bite. The conditions of keeping, care and feeding are the same as for other species of this family.
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Description of the forest dormouse
The small dart frog forest dormouse has much in common with mice and squirrels, and at the same time. Features of appearance, namely color, size and behavior depend on the place of direct habitat. Depending on the place of residence, the coat color of the forest dormouse may be darker or lighter, the contrast between the shades manifests itself in different ways.
Appearance
Dormouse are small animals with a slightly elongated body. The total body length is from 60 to 120 mm. The flattened tail, separately, can be the same length, with longer hair. The tail is not just an ornament, but an important vestibular tool. It helps to balance on the branches, playing the role of a kind of steering wheel. Also, this part of the body may indicate the mood of the rodent. If the long hair on the tail lies smoothly, the animal feels safe. Rearing hairs in this zone indicate an unfriendly attitude. In anticipation of danger, the dormouse raises its hairs to appear larger for its opponent. Cats do the same.
It is interesting! The long narrow head ends with a sharp muzzle, the eyes of the rodent stand out noticeably against the general background, they are dark, round and shiny. On the head of the animal are prominent rounded ears, they are quite large.
On the muzzle itself, like in most rodent species, vibrissae are located. These are additional "tools" for orientation in the space of the animal. With them, they capture the smallest fluctuations in the air, as a result of which they can navigate in space in conditions of relative darkness. The length of the vibrissae in relation to the body size of the forest dormouse ranges from 20 to 40%. The antennae, each individually, can make movements due to the contraction of the subcutaneous muscles of the face. Such an organ of touch helps to better navigate the world around the rodent.
It is interesting that the dormouse's hind legs have 5 fingers each, and the front ones have 4. The legs are thin and short. The coat of the rodent is short, of uniform length throughout the body, except for the tail, soft and silky to the touch.. As a rule, on the chest it is painted in grayish-yellow shades. The coat of the same color is also on the chest with the throat part. The back of the forest dormouse is brown-reddish. On the muzzle, these two colors are separated by a contrasting stripe of dark black-brown.
Character and lifestyle
Deciduous thickets and forests are considered favorite habitats for forest dormouse. She is a fan of the thicket with dense undergrowth, places of hollow trees. But at the same time, you can meet her in a garden or park area. This funny animal is widespread in the middle lane and in the west of the European part of the Russian Federation. For housing, dormouse chooses natural shelters. It can be hollow trees, old abandoned nests of all kinds of birds. For example, forty. If a suitable vacant place was not found, the dormouse will not be embarrassed by the presence of the "owners" in the nest. She can settle in a hollow or birdhouse, driving the feathered owners out of there with a bang.
This rodent can make a home on its own. The most commonly used material is the bast of trees and other vegetable small "garbage". These are grass, fluffs, dry leaves, a wickerwork of flexible branches is used as a frame. It takes about 2-4 days to build one dwelling. Dormouse manages to build their homes in the density of thickets of thorny bushes. Thus, they make it safer, preventing predators from getting close. Forest dormouse is an economic rodent, they devote most of the construction time to arranging the interior of the housing. Sonya stuffs it with fluff, wool, dry grass, which makes it not only warm and cozy, but also perfectly masks the chicks grown in it from prying eyes.
Therefore, if you happened to see an untidy translucent nest without litter, this is a bachelor's dwelling or a temporary overnight stay. In such a house, the animal will not stay for a long time, it could serve as an overexposure point, then the dormouse will go to build a new nest. On the territory of residence of one individual, you can find up to 8 such dwellings. The rodent can change apartments, even if they are clogged, in order to comply with sanitary standards. There is no separate passage to the nest. Dormouse enters and exits through any suitable gap between the bars. This structure also makes it a difficult prey for predators.
It is interesting! Forest dormice are also careful about the cleanliness of their own bodies. They can spend hours combing every hair of their own tail, carefully sorting them out.
Winter apartments are built deep underground in heaps of brushwood or thickets of the root system of a tree. Close to the surface, the soil freezes too much, not giving a chance to survive, so they settle with the onset of cold weather at a distance of 30 cm below ground level.
The forest dormouse is a climbing animal. It moves perfectly along the branches of trees and shrubs, while being active both during the day and at night. During the day, even most of the species spends in a dream. Sharp curved claws and special "corns" allow her to easily hold onto the branches without falling down. And vibrissae help to navigate well in dense thickets.
The cold puts the animal into a stupor. In this state, the forest dormouse hibernates all the cold days of the year. Such numbness lowers the temperature of the body of the rodent, slowing down the course of metabolic processes, allowing the economical use of vital resources. For this period, some dormice stock up on food, which they eat with pleasure at the moments of awakening during periods of thaw. After that, with a repeated decrease in temperature, the dormouse can fall asleep, having refreshed itself, continue its hibernation. The rest of the representatives of the species consume only the fat reserves of their own body, accumulated in the warm seasons.
How long does a forest dormouse live
In the wild, forest dormouse live from 2 to 6 years. This animal can be tamed if it was caught in infancy. During fishing, you should not take them with your bare hands, dormice do not like this.
Range, habitats
Forest dormice are common in the forest zone from Central Asia to Kazakhstan and European countries. They inhabited the northern part of Africa, China and Japan. The Dormouse family has up to 9 genera. The number of their species is 28. They can be found even in Asia Minor and Altai.
The diet of the forest dormouse
Various insects may be present in the diet of forest dormouse.. However, animals choose plant foods as their preferred type of food. They are happy to eat the seeds of plants, fruits that come across on the way, and do not disdain the seeds of berries. If on the way the forest dormouse meets a bird's nest with small chicks or laid eggs, she will eat them with pleasure.
It is interesting! The very process of food intake by animals deserves special attention and tenderness. Like most rodents, they take food in their tiny paws and then bring it to their mouths. It's nice to watch how deftly these kids straighten their tiny fingers with seeds and berries.
