This funny little animal, so similar to either a squirrel or a hamster, is called hazel dormouse (lat. Muscardinus avellanarius). She became “Oreshnikova” because she lives where there are a lot of different nuts, and she was nicknamed “sleepyhead” because she likes to take a nap during the day.

This is one of the smallest representatives of the dormouse family. The body length of an adult animal is only 7-9 cm with a weight of 27 g. The tail with a brush is long, almost equal to the length of the body (6-7.7 cm). It is evenly covered with short, soft hair. The hazel dormouse has a blunt muzzle with very large vibrissae, the length of which sometimes reaches 40% of the body length. The ears are small and rounded.

The head, back and tail of the animal are ocher-red, sometimes with a reddish tint. The belly and the inside of the legs are yellowish, the chest and lower part of the body are often decorated with white spots. Large and almost round black eyes.

The hazel dormouse lives in Europe and northern Turkey, and can also be seen in southern Sweden and the UK. In general, this cute rodent is quite common in southern Europe, only in hot Spain it is not. In Russia, the little dormouse is extremely rare. If you're lucky, you can see it in broad-leaved and mixed forests of the middle zone.

The main condition for the habitation of hazel dormouse is the presence of a dense undergrowth of hazel, mountain ash, wild rose, viburnum, bird cherry and other trees and shrubs that can produce crops at different times of the year. In addition, a shy animal loves very much when there are many shelters around where you can hide from terrible predators.

flickr/kleinsaeuger.at

Hazel dormouse builds several residential nests, placing them in hollows of trees or simply on branches at a height of 1-2 meters. On occasion, he willingly occupies birdhouses, nest boxes or titmouses, not particularly worrying whether someone already lives there or not. From the antics of an impudent animal, mainly small birds suffer, which are not able to fight back.

Dormouse is a territorial animal, while the personal territories of females never intersect with each other, while the male's territory always passes through several females' territories.

During the daytime, the dormouse sleeps in one of its nests. At nightfall, she goes out in search of food. Interestingly, the animal does not immediately leave the shelter. First, he sticks his muzzle out and quickly moves his vibrissae, checking if there is anyone suspicious nearby. Then the dormouse goes to the nearest branch and begins to take care of her toilet.

Having thoroughly cleaned, hazel dormouse sets off on a night journey full of dangers. A few hours before dawn, full and satisfied, she returns home. The animal feeds on linden nuts, acorns, nuts, beech and other seeds of broad-leaved species. In addition, she willingly eats berries, fruits, young spring buds and shoots. Sometimes her diet includes bird eggs.

In winter, hazel dormouse hibernates. To do this, she arranges a warm and reliable nest on the ground or underground, using root weaves, holes of other rodents, and sometimes even old tires or tin cans. Of course, the animal insulates them with bunches of dry grass, feathers, wool and simply gnawed leaves. The life span of hazel dormouse in wild nature 2-3 years.

This small animal is very similar to an ordinary mouse, but with a fluffy "squirrel" tail. Externally, there are two types of dormice - mouse-like and protein-like. The former have a bare tail and live on the ground, the latter live in trees. Dormouse are very small animals, an adult animal easily fits in the palm of your hand. They are active mainly at night. They began to domesticate these animals relatively recently, in the last century, this was facilitated by a decrease in the number of individuals of the species. Thanks to the technical progress of the last century, the number of forest zones where these animals live has significantly decreased, and the dormouse was listed in the Red Book, and also began to be bred in artificial conditions in order to prevent the extinction of the species.

Titles in other languages:
The name of the dormouse in Latin sounds like Myoxidae or Gliridae. There is also Latin name subfamily dormouse, Graphiurinae. On English language"sleepy" sounds like Dormouse, and in German - Siebenschlaefer.

Classification:
Dormouse belongs to the animal kingdom, a type of chordates, a subtype of vertebrates. Dormouse are mammals of the placental subclass. Of course, these are rodents that belong to the squirrel-like, dormouse family. In total, 9 genera and 28 species of these animals are known in nature.

Dormouse Habitat:
These rodents are mostly found in the steppes and forest-steppes. The main regions of their habitat are the northern part of Africa, China and Japan, Altai, Asia Minor. And in southern Africa, even a separate species of animal lives, which is called the African dormouse. Other genera of this rodent prefer cooler climates. The most common dormice are those that live in trees. For example, a dormouse can live all its life on a tree. Tree species settle mainly in hollows or nests, terrestrial ones dig minks near tree roots or fallen trunks. There are also garden species of these animals, they cause great damage to gardening, destroying cultivated plants.

Sony description:
Mouse-like animals, as the name implies, look like mice, and squirrel-like animals look like squirrels. On average, dormice grow up to 10 cm, sometimes there are 20-centimeter individuals. They have cute round ears and beady eyes. Dormouse, thanks to their sharp claws, can cling well to tree bark. In some members of the family, one claw on the hind paw may be missing. If you put the animal on the palm of your hand, you can feel the hard pads on the paws of the animal. The wool of the dormouse is reddish-gray, very soft and long, the hairs are smoothed, reaching a length of 17 cm. In squirrels, a fluffy tail stands out very much. Winter for dormouse is a period of hibernation. As for a rodent, dormouse lives for a relatively long time - in nature up to 5 years, in captivity no more than 3 years.

Sony nutrition:
Tree dormouse feed on what mainly grows and lives on trees. These are nuts, seeds, fruits of trees, small insects. Ground dormouse is more herbivorous, they love different herbs, dandelion leaves, clover, nettles. Dormouse living in trees destroy bird nests in order to feast on their eggs. This breed of rodents is also characterized by a predatory trait, they can eat other, smaller animals. If dormouse is kept at home, it is preferable for her to diversify her diet with plant foods - grains, seeds, fruits, nuts, sometimes bread and carrots. Also, do not exclude animal food. A pet can occasionally be pampered with boiled meat, milk, cottage cheese, chicken eggs. And for some species, animal products are even more important in the diet than vegetation. In the feeder of garden and African dormouse, insects and eggs should always be present. It is also possible to breed special flour worms for the full nutrition of dormouse. If you add fish oil to your food, the animal's body will receive even more vitamins and nutrients.

Dormouse reproduction:
From the first month of life, dormouse are ready for reproduction. The mating season begins in the spring. The offspring of females appears mainly once a year. Almost all types of dormouse, except for the dormouse, reproduce well both in natural and at home conditions. The female carries the cubs for a month, after which naked and blind babies are born. There are up to 10 of them in the litter, and they feed on mother's milk for up to 3 weeks. Little sleepyheads are very attached to their mother, so you can’t tear them away from her ahead of time, this can be a serious stress for babies. It is curious that dormice take care of their cubs together with their fathers, a “full-fledged” family.

Maintenance and care of dormouse:
Sony are known for their unpretentiousness and peacefulness. They calmly get along with several animals in one aviary or cage. The animals feel good in spacious enclosures, because in a cramped cage the dormouse will not be able to move actively enough and will begin to gain excess weight. It is best for Sony to equip a home that is as similar as possible to natural environment a habitat. Moss or a layer of peat can be laid on the floor of the enclosure, twigs, bark, stumps can be laid out on it. Edible plants, grass, gooseberry or currant bushes can be grown right in the dormouse's dwelling. For hibernation these small animals need to equip a cozy corner. For this, a pipe leading from a hole to a small box insulated with dry hay is suitable. If a dormouse lives in a cage, it must be equipped with all the attributes necessary for rodents - a drinking bowl, sawdust on the floor, a bowl, a pallet, toys. Dormouse are very fond of messing with their nests, so you can hang a small wooden box in the cage with a set of “building materials”: ​​twigs, hay, etc.

Additionally:
Dormouse is not only very fond of starting as pets. They are also valued for their good coats, like fur animals. The skin of the sony regiment was especially highly valued, at one time special hunts were organized for them. In general, this is a very curious species, the dormouse has an excellent appetite and autumn period gains a lot of weight, but still makes large stocks for the winter in its nest.

Dormouse or dormice belong to the family of mammals, to the order of rodents. This mammal looks very much like a mouse and a squirrel at the same time, it has a long fluffy tail resembling a squirrel.

They got their name for a reason. The first reason can be called the nocturnal lifestyle of the animal; and the second reason will be a long period of hibernation in the cold. Some species hibernate for 7 months a year.

They are very small and fit perfectly in the palm of a person.

Description

All representatives of the family of these animals have a similar structure of the body and organs. . They all have large dark eyes, long whiskers and rounded ears. The coat is only fluffy and soft, and the tail is long, squirrel.

Trees are considered habitat for dormouse. If they are absent, then the rodent can be found in the branches of the bush. Some species are on the ground almost all the time.

Three types of dormouse are known that live in Russia and are listed in the Red Book:

• hazel;
• garden;
• forest.

These rodents are very interesting to watch, besides the fact that they are small, they are very funny and funny. Compared to other rodents, they live a long time and do little to no harm.

It makes no sense to buy a dormouse as a pet. And all because they activity in nature starts at night. It has to do with their lifestyle. Not every animal lover will be interested at night, instead of sleeping soundly, watching this little rodent. They are extremely rare for sale. It is known that in captivity, being in a cage, they can change their lifestyle, adjusting to the life rhythm of the owners. But few people know about this fact.

Despite the fact that the rodent is actively nightlife, in the daytime he sees no worse. The mammal has a special skeleton, which can be compressed in the vertical direction. This allows the rodent to crawl into the narrowest gaps that exist on tree trunks. So they find the safest place to rest and build a future nest. Thanks to such an important quality, the animal still lives and reproduces.

Crawling out of its hiding place in search of food, despite good eyesight, the dormouse relies on its unique hearing. The role of locators are small, round ears that can change their position on her head. The movements of the ears are not synchronous, independent of each other. The garden rodent has the largest ears; slightly smaller size - hazel; well, the third place is occupied by the forest. Photos of these wonderful and unpretentious animals can be found on the Internet.

While eating hard foods, sleepyhead can be compared to a squirrel. She holds her prey with her front paws and quickly rotates it. Thanks to such actions and its sharp incisors, it can easily open the hard shell of a nut and various seeds.

These mammals cannot be called fertile. First, they ripen quite late; secondly, they never have more than 5 cubs. The third reason is the number of matings per year - there are only two of them. Well, the main reason is their love of sleep and its duration.

If we talk about all these reasons at the same time, then the dormouse species would have ceased to exist long ago. But in reality, everything is different. The maternal instinct, which is very strongly developed in females, allows you to take care of each cub with special tenderness and care. Added to this is good health and a long lifespan. It turns out a stable population, the security of which is not threatened.

How to draw Sonya? Photos from the Internet will help with this.

At home, such a rodent should only be kept in a metal cage with a fairly strong metal tray. It is no more difficult than keeping other, more famous rodents at home.

cage requirements quite serious ones are put forward, since Sonya will deal with wood and even plastic very quickly. Therefore, the cage should only be metal. You can buy it at the pet store, order strictly according to your size, or make it yourself. While the cage is being made, the rodent can be kept in an ordinary terrarium, the main thing is that such a room is well ventilated.

Mammal cage should be equipped with a feeder and a nipple drinker. The material for their manufacture must be the same metal.

There should always be food in the feeder, and water in the drinker. While awake, they eat and drink a lot.

As bedding sawdust or pelleted wood can be used in the cage. It needs to be changed regularly to keep it from getting wet. In the cage, you need to equip a secluded corner where the dormouse could hide. Only in a secluded place can she sleep.

For temporary shelter, a wooden house or a house made with your own hands from a cardboard box is suitable. The shelter will indeed be temporary, as the rodent will quickly destroy it. But with a cardboard box, as a house, you can experiment, and each time make everything better and more beautiful.

In a cage for a rodent, you need to make all the conditions, as in nature. He must have ladder, shelf, tree, on which he can run. This must be done in order to ensure good health. The thing is that the animal does not control its appetite, and a special metabolism contributes to the accumulation of fat reserves. He just needs to move more.

Since rodents are very clean, their "house" must be constantly kept clean. Regularly wash the drinker and feeder, every 2-3 days you need to change the litter in the cage. Rodents pay great attention to their soft and smooth fur - they clean it several times a day.

Where the cage is there should be no drafts. There should be enough sunlight, and the height of its location should be at the level of the human eye.

Dormouse varieties

Consider three types of rodents that are found in our country. Each individual species can be kept at home, but you need to familiarize yourself with them in more detail.

This type of rodent is endowed with the smallest size. In length, they reach no more than 10 cm. They are found in nature. in bushes:

• hazel;
• cotoneaster;
• hawthorn.

Rodents build strong nests for their offspring from leaves and grass, and they are located on the branches of shrubs.

This species of rodents can also be found on trees, if suddenly there is an empty, unoccupied hollow. Sonya can also live in a birdhouse, if only it is free.

Trees and shrubs are used by the animal only in the warm season, and for winter they choose places that are safer and warmer. This is, as usual, a small, cozy mink, which is arranged at the roots of trees.

At home this species should be kept in tall cages. This is because the dormouse likes to climb trees, and in a low cage she will not have such an opportunity. In a high cage, you can arrange for her not one, but several cardboard houses, which will greatly increase her comfort of life.

A grain mixture is suitable as a feed, and nuts and sweets will be a delicacy.

Several reasons why this type difficult to keep at home

1. The animal is small and very fast. If it accidentally escapes from the cage, then it will be almost impossible to catch it in the apartment. That's just the furniture and all things will begin to suffer.
2. This type of animal has a specific smell, so the cage will have to be cleaned much more often. The smell in the apartment will still remain, so if there are allergy sufferers in the house, then it is better to refuse such an animal.
3. they need special feeding - they need insects.

She is the most beautiful. The fur coat is dark red, shimmers in the sun; there is an interesting "mask" on the muzzle, which provides a mysterious and cunning image. The abdomen of almost all is snow-white; at the end of the tail - a brush; on a cunning muzzle - large eyes and ears. Not everyone can draw such a beautiful animal.

The animal is very mobile, moves quickly through trees, shrubs and on the ground. Its main food is insects. It can also eat vegetable food, but gives preference to the animal.

If such an animal is housed, then you need a special cage, and preferably a terrarium. From the feed it is preferable - insect larvae and flour worms. A boiled egg is suitable as a complementary food.

Garden dormouse The Red Book is a unique specimen.

forest dormouse

This is the sister of a garden animal, that's just habitat must be deserted. At home, experts do not recommend keeping it. There are several reasons for this:

• complex diet;
• each individual loves something of his own, there are gourmets among them;
• it is very difficult to buy or breed special food for such rodents.

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, as it is located 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. After about 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 character of the forest dormouse, nevertheless, it is not recommended for children as 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

Just look at these cute little orange-brown animals. Although they belong to the rodent family, they are easily distinguished from their counterparts by their bushy tail.

Dormouse nocturnal animals. They hold the palm for the duration of sleep, carelessly sleeping during the day in a hollow, or a cozy and well-hidden nest. As soon as dusk descends, these funny animals wake up for 2-3 hours to move around and eat. If she smells a predator nearby, she will go to bed again. Bad weather is unlikely to get the little "sloth" out of hiding. It is better to stay warm and dry, albeit not quite full.

In autumn, the animals hibernate as a friendly family in underground burrows or hollows. Animals lie on their backs, covering their tummy fluffy tail like a blanket. Dormouse will sleep for a long time - up to 8 months. During hibernation, the heart rate slows down and the animal's body temperature drops, which helps conserve energy.

They wake up hungry in the spring and go for food to gain weight and make up for the loss of energy. Animals climb trees well. With pleasure they eat swollen buds on trees and young green shoots. Dormouse feed on various foods: nuts and berries, insects and aphids, destroy the nests of small birds, feasting on delicious eggs.

The habitat of the animals is Europe (except the North) and Africa. They prefer broad-leaved and mixed forests. They spend most of their lives above the ground, on tree branches.

In their appearance, they look like squirrels, only smaller size. The body length is 7 - 18 cm, and one animal weighs about 50 grams. The tail is quite long, 6 - 7cm. On the muzzle there are small rounded ears, a long mustache, eyes large and round, black. On the paws are long fingers with sharp claws. The nose is pink-brown. The belly and neck of the dormouse are lighter than the main color.

These are territorial animals. A well-developed hearing of the animal will let you know about encroachments on the possessions of its owner. They are solitary animals, and they create a pair for procreation. Offspring bring 1 - 3 times a year, depending on the species. After winter sleep, having found each other, the female is preparing to become a mother. She looks for a secluded place, then builds a nest, lovingly covering it with fluff and soft grass.

Pregnancy will last about a month, and small cubs will be born. Usually in a litter from 3 to 10 babies, they are born naked, blind and completely helpless. They will feed on mother's milk for about a month; eyes open only after 2.5 weeks. Mom's care and affection will not last long, after 35 - 40 days, the children must leave their home, and after some time find a suitable territory for themselves. It should be noted the efforts of the father of the family, he also takes care of the offspring.

In the wild, dormice live for about three years.