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 in Lately dormouse confidently pushes 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 most large 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 body length 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 a lot of 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 breeding

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 content, dormouse speaks of their good looks and simple rules care. The disadvantages can be considered predominantly nocturnal, the need for daily cleaning of the cage and falling into hibernation. As we have seen, Sonya is quite easy to maintain as pet. These handsome men can be a good alternative to such "stars" of zoo corners as or chinchillas.

Now even the most fanciful breeds of dogs and cats do not cause much surprise, but tamed wild animals are still a curiosity. So, in Novosibirsk, Sonya the squirrel became a local celebrity - especially after a news story was shot about her.

Some families take wild animals for themselves, consciously preparing for the choice - first they read a lot of information about the future pet, and then buy it at a pet store or bird market. For the family that sheltered Sonya, the situation looked completely different: either they take the squirrel home and try to get him out, or he dies a slow death from hunger. The fact is that Sonya fell out of the nest at the age of only one and a half months, and for some reason her mother did not take her back. The baby had no chance to survive on her own: she still ate milk and did not know how to get her own food.

Squirrel Sonya is such a “Mowgli on the contrary”, - Elena Ermakova, the owner of the squirrel, jokes. Now this once wild animal can be considered a domestic animal - the squirrel fits perfectly into the life of the family, it even has its own shelf in the refrigerator, where cedar cones are stored "in reserve". Moreover, Sonya loves to sit on Elena's shoulder, and does not mind a harness with a leash. So, sitting on her shoulder, Sonya goes out into the street, where she immediately attracts the attention of all passers-by and children playing on the local playground. Sonya likes to run through the trees, but according to Elena, the animal never runs away.

Interestingly, Sonya the squirrel responds to its name - just like a pet. But at the same time, the instincts of life in the wild are also preserved in it: for example, the squirrel constantly stocks up and hides seeds, nuts and cones in the most unexpected places, from the pockets of jackets and outerwear to flower pots. If Sonya happens to meet other squirrels, she is in no hurry to share her supplies with them. Now for her family is people.

Of course, the maintenance of such an unusual animal is fraught with various difficulties: these are the already mentioned "nut nests," and the desire to gnaw everything that comes across, and incredible mobility. But for the hostess Sonya is still the best in the world. “Watching a domestic squirrel,” says Elena, “is a pleasure: no other pet brings so much joy.” And at the same time, she does not advise taking such a pet home without unnecessary necessity.

Dormouse are very sweet and affectionate creatures, resembling both a squirrel and a hamster. Hazel dormouse got its name, firstly, for its habitat. After all, where they usually live, a large number of trees with a variety of nuts. And they call her Sonya because the animal leads a nocturnal lifestyle, and prefers to take a nap during the day.

General characteristics

All representatives of the sleepy family have similar characteristics, body structure and organs. The eyes of the dormice are large and dark, the ears are slightly rounded, and the antennae are very long. When you pick up one of these animals, you feel how soft and fluffy their fur is. The tail is one of the advantages of the dormouse: with long fur, even more fluffy than the animal itself.

Dormouse do not live on the surface of the earth, but prefer to settle on trees. In the event that in the area where they live, there is not a large number of really tall trees, then dormouse can with the same comfort settle down in the thickets of any shrubs. However, it should be noted that some species of these mice are happy to spend most of their time on the ground.

According to gardeners, dormouse, or rather, some of their varieties, are pests, because these animals may well cause little harm to trees in the garden or fruits, but it is not so significant.

In fact, Sonya cannot be denied attractiveness. They are very sweet and their behavior is quite entertaining to watch. They can be called centenarians, in comparison with other rodents. But, although dormice are great for the role of a pet, they are not particularly common. The fact is that, as mentioned earlier, dormouse lead an active lifestyle only at night, and during the day they are sleepy and lazy animals. Therefore, many animal lovers do not dare to get them, believing that it will be boring with dormouse. Unfortunately, they do not suspect that at home these rodents can adapt to the human rhythm of life without any problems.

Lifestyle

There is a common myth that these animals seem to see poorly during the day and that is why they prefer to stay awake in the dark. Of course, this is not so. Sony is perfectly oriented in space, regardless of the time of day, thanks to its impeccable vision.

An interesting feature of dormouse is the structure of their skeleton. Mother Nature created it in such a way that every time a sleepyhead needs to crawl into a very small gap in a tree, which, it would seem, is much smaller than itself, the animal stretches in length in a way that the usual structure of the rodent skeleton would not allow it. This factor allows animals to find the most secluded places for their nests, which ensures their safety.

Sony is endowed not only with all the above advantages, but also excellent hearing which allows them to hunt without the slightest difficulty. It's funny to watch how the dormouse's ears move in different directions, acting as a kind of locators studying the area. The largest such ears are on the head of the garden dormouse.

The process of eating dormice prey is very similar to how squirrels do it. Most of the daily diet of animals is solid food.. They easily open the shells of various nuts with their sharp teeth.

If they did not know how to hide so well from all the dangers that await them, then perhaps they would have died out long ago, because they rarely replenish their population. Puberty animals come late, and they mate, unlike other rodents, very few, only twice a year.

In addition, there are rarely more than five cubs in a litter. However, dormouse makes excellent mothers who protect their offspring from all sorts of dangers.

Kinds

In Russia, only three types of dormouse have become widespread: hazel, forest and garden. All types of these animals are perfect for keeping at home.

Oreshnikovaya

In nature hazel dormouse prefer to settle in the bushes. The size of these rodents is small, about ten centimeters. Sonya is not picky and, if necessary, will comfortably exist in the hollows of trees. You can also often find dormouse in birdhouses. In winter, the dormouse moves from its nest to a cozy mink, which it equips in the roots of trees.

If you want to keep hazel dormouse at home, then keep in mind that the cage should be quite high and spacious, because the animals cannot live without climbing various branches, as they are used to doing in their natural habitat. It should be taken into account that there should be several houses in a cage. This is due to the fact that animals in nature feel more comfortable in the presence of several secluded places where it can rest.

Feed this species mixture of various grains, and as a treat, the animals receive sweets and nuts. Despite their attractiveness, hazel dormice are still not ideal pets for several reasons.

Garden

They are considered beauties due to their fur and interesting spots on the muzzle, which resemble a carnival mask, which gives them a special charm. The fur coat of garden dormouse tends to be cast in gold, there is a tassel on the long tail, and the eyes and ears, which are very large and expressive in their own way, complete the already impeccable image.

Future owners of garden dormouse should take into account that animals are very fond of movement and prefer to eat animal food, although they do not refuse various grains and nuts. Of course, the cage of this species must be very spacious. An ideal place to live for them would be a large aviary where the animals can run to their heart's content. Dormouse's daily diet includes flour worms and insect larvae.

Lesnaya

Forest dormouse are very similar to their counterparts, garden dormouse. But if the latter can be found quite often, then forest dormouse try to choose habitats away from people. For this and several other reasons, they are not particularly good pets.

African

This species is the most popular among breeders. It is most often found on sale in pet stores. A fairly large rodent, whose body length is sixteen centimeters without a tail and thirty-nine with it. African dormice are very attractive. Their fur coat has an ashy hue, the belly is cream-colored. And the tail, the main color of which is brown, has a white tip.

The daily diet of this species includes a variety of crops, various fruits, as well as insects. As you can understand, there will be no difficulties with the selection of food for your pet. The main advantage of animals is their sociability, friendliness and the ability to quickly become attached to the owner. If you train your pet, he will easily respond to his name.

It seems to some that it is more difficult to keep these animals than other rodents. But this is far from true. rodent pretty unpretentious and very affectionate. However, there are subtleties of keeping these rodents, which we will now discuss.

First, it should be noted that the cage for your pet must be made of solid metal and the pallet is very well made. Because Sony's plastic things are able to gnaw and completely destroy in a matter of seconds. The only difficulty is that this kind of cells are rarely found on the market or in stores, and are most often made to order, and therefore will come out more expensive than usual. If it is more convenient for you, you can buy a terrarium instead of such a cage, but note that it must be well ventilated.

The drinker, which should certainly be in a cage, should be made of a nipple, like an animal feeder. Dormouse eat more than all other rodents, so it is important to ensure that the pet does not overeat, because problems with being overweight can adversely affect the health of dormouse. Cage bedding can be made from sawdust or wood pellets. Be sure to equip a house for the animal, because it can only sleep in its shelter.

Summing up, we can say with confidence that dormouse are affectionate and friendly creatures that will become wonderful pets!

Description of the forest dormouse

The small dart frog forest dormouse has much in common with mice and squirrels, and at the same time. Peculiarities appearance, namely color, size and behavior depend on the place of immediate 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.

This 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. 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 economic rodent, they devote most of the construction time to the arrangement of 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 sanitary norms. 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.

This 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 wild nature forest dormice 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.

This 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.

Forest dormouse - from lat. Dryomys nitedula is a rodent from the dormouse family, small size(about 10 cm long) and small 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 - interesting photos forest dormouse:

Interesting facts about the life of forest dormouse

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 living corners educational institutions and 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