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]
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]
Behaviour and ecology
Sleeping garden dormouse in empty bird's nest in Cologne, Germany
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.
It is not unusual for a garden dormouse to eat one of its unfortunate rivals during the mating season. Cannibalism is also observed occasionally when the animal is coming out of hibernation.
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.[7] The populations of western Asia and north Africa, on the other hand, have recently been separated into their own species, Eliomys melanurus.
References
^Bertolino, S.; Amori, G.; Henttonen, H.; Zagorodnyuk, I.; Zima, J.; Juškaitis, R.; Meinig, H.; Kryštufek, B. (2008). "Eliomys quercinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T7618A12835766. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T7618A12835766.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^"Eikelmuis, ook wel slaapmuis of fruitdief genoemd, bijna uitgestorven". Trouw (in Dutch). 2007. p. 7.
^"Garden dormouse named Animal of the Year 2022". Swissinfo. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
^"Der Gartenschläfer ist Tier des Jahres 2022". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 2 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
^"Nach über 100 Jahren erstmals ein Gartenschläfer nachgewiesen" [After more than 100 years, a garden dormouse sighted for the first time]. Swiss Radio and Television SRF. 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
^Guerreiro Martins, Natalia Beatriz; Del Rosario Robles, María; Navone, Graciela Teresa (2017). "A new species of Moniliformis from a Sigmodontinae rodent in Patagonia (Argentina)". Parasitology Research. 116 (8): 2091–2099. doi:10.1007/s00436-017-5508-9. PMID 28585077. S2CID 33203157.
^Purroy, F. J. & Varela, J. M. (2003) Guía de los Mamíferos de España. Península, Baleares y Canarias. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona
This article includes information translated from the German and French Wikipedias.
garden, dormouse, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, november,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Garden dormouse news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2007 Learn how and when to remove this template message The garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus is a rodent in the dormouse family Garden dormouseConservation statusNear Threatened IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder RodentiaFamily GliridaeGenus EliomysSpecies E quercinusBinomial nameEliomys quercinus Linnaeus 1766 Geographic rangeSynonymsMus quercinus Linnaeus 1766 Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Behaviour and ecology 4 Classification 5 References 6 External linksCharacteristics Edit A garden dormouse 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 Distribution and habitat EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 Busserach 5 Behaviour and ecology Edit Sleeping garden dormouse in empty bird s nest in Cologne Germany This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message The garden dormouse is primarily nocturnal sleeping in spherical nests in trees during the day At night they look for food mainly eating larger insects such as grasshoppers and beetles and snails eggs young nestlings small rodents and spiders as well as berries fruit and nuts such as acorns and beechnuts While omnivorous the diet of dormice contains slightly more animal protein than vegetation 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 It is not unusual for a garden dormouse to eat one of its unfortunate rivals during the mating season Cannibalism is also observed occasionally when the animal is coming out of hibernation The garden dormouse is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Moniliformis siciliensis in Sicily 6 Classification EditOn 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 7 The populations of western Asia and north Africa on the other hand have recently been separated into their own species Eliomys melanurus References Edit Bertolino S Amori G Henttonen H Zagorodnyuk I Zima J Juskaitis R Meinig H Krystufek B 2008 Eliomys quercinus IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008 e T7618A12835766 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2008 RLTS T7618A12835766 en Retrieved 19 November 2021 Eikelmuis ook wel slaapmuis of fruitdief genoemd bijna uitgestorven Trouw in Dutch 2007 p 7 Garden dormouse named Animal of the Year 2022 Swissinfo 2 January 2022 Retrieved 5 January 2022 Der Gartenschlafer ist Tier des Jahres 2022 Neue Zurcher Zeitung in German 2 January 2022 Retrieved 5 January 2022 Nach uber 100 Jahren erstmals ein Gartenschlafer nachgewiesen After more than 100 years a garden dormouse sighted for the first time Swiss Radio and Television SRF 2022 04 20 Retrieved 2022 04 20 Guerreiro Martins Natalia Beatriz Del Rosario Robles Maria Navone Graciela Teresa 2017 A new species of Moniliformis from a Sigmodontinae rodent in Patagonia Argentina Parasitology Research 116 8 2091 2099 doi 10 1007 s00436 017 5508 9 PMID 28585077 S2CID 33203157 Purroy F J amp Varela J M 2003 Guia de los Mamiferos de Espana Peninsula Baleares y Canarias Lynx Edicions Barcelona This article includes information translated from the German and French Wikipedias External links Edit Eliomys quercinus Linnaeus 1766 Integrated Taxonomic Information System Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Garden dormouse amp oldid 1121677198, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
