Dormouse squirrel at home. Rodent - forest dormouse: description with photos and videos, interesting facts about the life of forest dormouse

Forest dormouse - from lat. Dryomys nitedula is a rodent from the dormouse family, small in size (about 10 cm in length) and light in weight (about 40 grams). The fur color is usually gray, but in different habitats there may be different shades. The fur is short, soft and dense. 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 contains a large number of blood vessels. The sharp muzzle and the shape of the ears resemble a squirrel, but without ear tufts and, moreover, the forest dormouse is much smaller in size than a squirrel.

The forest dormouse lives mainly in trees or bushes, but it can also be seen on the ground. Average Life expectancy is three years, but in good home conditions the forest dormouse can live for five years. The 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 young. Leads predominantly night look life and is active in the evening and at night, but at home it can change. In winter, as a rule, the forest dormouse hibernates. Males wake up earlier than females and feed heavily at first, trying to restore winter weight loss. After about a week, the females wake up and prepare to reproduce. Basically, this occurs in the spring, once a year, but, depending on the habitat, a second stage in the fall is possible. The gestation period for females takes about a month; childbirth, like other activities, mainly occurs at night.

Below - interesting photos forest dormouse:

Interesting facts about the life of the forest dormouse

The forest dormouse is a rather rare animal and therefore most of the species were listed in the Red Book, and some specimens appeared in living areas educational institutions and from private owners. But, despite the lively character of the forest dormouse, it is still not recommended for children as a pet. Taming the dormouse is a rather complicated process and the forest dormouse is unlikely to become an absolute domestic animal.

Video: Forest dormouse on bait

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

Dormouses are nocturnal animals. They hold the palm in terms of sleep duration, carefreely sleeping during the day in a hollow, or a cozy and well-hidden nest. As soon as dusk falls, these funny animals wake up for 2–3 hours to move around and eat. If she smells something nearby, she will go back to sleep. Bad weather It is unlikely that the little “sloth” will be able to get out of his hiding place. It’s better to stay warm and dry, even if not completely full.

In autumn, the animals hibernate as a friendly family in underground burrows or hollows. The animals lie on their backs, covering their bellies with their fluffy tails, like a blanket. Dormouses sleep for a long time - up to 8 months. During hibernation, the animal's 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 replenish lost energy. Animals are good at climbing trees. They happily eat swollen buds on trees and young green shoots. Dormice feed on a variety of foods: nuts and berries, insects and aphids, and 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 life above the ground, on tree branches.

In appearance, they are similar to squirrels, only smaller in size. The body length is 7 – 18 cm, and one animal weighs about 50 grams. The tail is quite long, 6–7 cm. The muzzle has small rounded ears, a long mustache, and large, round, black eyes. The paws have long toes with sharp claws. The nose is pink-brown. The dormouse's belly and neck are lighter than the main color.

These are territorial animals. The animal's well-developed hearing will let its owner know about encroachments on the property. They are solitary animals, and a pair is created for procreation. Offspring are born 1–3 times a year, depending on the species. After winter sleep, having found each other, the female prepares to become a mother. She looks for a secluded place, then builds a nest, lovingly covering it with down and soft grass.

The pregnancy will last about a month, and the little cubs will be born. Usually there are from 3 to 10 babies in a litter, 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. Mother's care and affection will not last long, after 35 - 40 days, the children should leave native home, and after some time find a suitable territory for yourself. 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.

Description of the forest dormouse

The small poison dart frog, the forest dormouse, has much in common with mice and squirrels, and at the same time. Peculiarities appearance, namely coloring, size and behavior depend on the place of immediate habitat. Depending on the place of residence, the color of the forest dormouse’s fur may be darker or lighter, and the contrast between shades may manifest itself differently.

Appearance

Dormice are small animals with a slightly elongated body. The total body length ranges from 60 to 120 mm. The flattened tail, separately, can be the same length, the hair on it is longer. The tail serves not just as decoration, but as an important vestibular tool. It helps to balance on the branches, playing the role of a kind of rudder. 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 secure. Raised hairs in this area indicate an unfriendly attitude. In anticipation of danger, the dormouse raises its hairs to appear larger to its opponent. Cats do much the same.

This is interesting! The long narrow head ends with a sharp muzzle, the rodent's eyes stand out noticeably against the general background, they are dark, round and shiny. On the head of the animal there are prominent round ears; they are quite large.

On the muzzle itself, like most species of rodents, there are vibrissae. These are additional “tools” for orienting the animal in space. With them they pick up the smallest air vibrations, as a result of which they can navigate in space in conditions of relative darkness. The length of the whiskers 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. This organ of touch helps to better navigate the world around the rodent.

It is interesting that the dormouse's hind legs have 5 fingers, and the front legs have 4. The legs are thin and short. The rodent's fur 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 colored in grayish-yellow shades. The fur on the chest and throat is the same color. The back of the forest dormouse is brownish-reddish. On the muzzle these two colors are separated by a contrasting stripe of dark black-brown color.

Character and lifestyle

Deciduous thickets and forests are considered the favorite habitats of the forest dormouse. She is a fan of thickets with dense undergrowth and places of hollow trees. But at the same time you can meet it in a garden or park area. This funny animal is widespread in middle lane and in the west of the European part Russian Federation. For its home, the dormouse chooses natural shelters. These could be hollow trees, old abandoned nests of all kinds of birds. For example, forty. If there is no suitable vacant place, the dormouse will not be embarrassed by the presence of “owners” in the nest. She can settle in a hollow or birdhouse, expelling the feathered owners with a bang.

This rodent can make a home on its own. The material most often used is tree bast and other small plant “garbage”. This is grass, fluff, dry leaves; a braid of flexible branches is used as a frame. It takes approximately 2-4 days to build one dwelling. Dormouses manage to build their houses in the dense thickets of thorny bushes. Thus, they make it safer by preventing predators from getting close. The forest dormouse is an economic rodent; they devote most of their construction time to arranging the interior of the home. Sonya stuffs it with down, wool, and dry grass, which makes it not only warm and cozy, but also perfectly camouflages the chicks raised in it from prying eyes.

Therefore, if you happen to see an untidy, translucent nest without bedding, this is a bachelor’s home or a temporary overnight stay. The animal will not stay in such a house for long; it could serve as a holding point, then the dormouse will go to build a new nest. In the territory where one individual lives, you can find up to 8 such dwellings. A rodent can change apartments, even if they are clogged, in order to comply with sanitary standards. There is no separate passage into the nest. The dormouse enters and exits through any suitable gap between the bars. This structure also makes it difficult prey for predators.

This is interesting! Forest dormouses are also careful about the cleanliness of their own bodies. They can spend hours combing out each fiber of their own tail, carefully sorting through them.

Winter apartments are built deep underground in piles of brushwood or thickets of the root system of a tree. Close to the surface, the soil freezes too much, not giving them a chance to survive, so they settle with the onset of cold weather at a distance of 30 cm down from ground level.

The forest dormouse is a climbing animal. It climbs well along the branches of trees and bushes, and is active both during the day and at night. During the day, even most of the species spends sleep. Sharp curved claws and special “calluses” allow it to easily stay on the branches without falling down. And the vibrissae help to navigate well in dense thickets.

The cold puts the animal into a stupor. In this state, the forest dormouse spends all the cold days of the year in hibernation. Such torpor lowers the rodent’s body temperature, slowing down metabolic processes, allowing for economical use of vital resources. For this period, some dormouse stock up on food, which they eat with pleasure when they wake up during thaw periods. After this, with the temperature dropping again, the dormouse can fall asleep, having refreshed itself, and continue its hibernation. The remaining representatives of the species consume only the fat reserves of their own body, accumulated in the warm seasons.

How long does the 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. When fishing, you shouldn’t pick them up with your bare hands; dormice don’t like that.

Range, habitats

Forest dormouse 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 includes up to 9 genera. The number of their species is 28. They can be found even in Asia Minor and Altai.

Diet of the forest dormouse

The diet of the forest dormouse may include various insects. However, animals choose plant foods as their preferred type of nutrition. They happily eat plant seeds and fruits along the way, and do not disdain berry seeds. If a forest dormouse encounters a bird’s nest with small chicks or laid eggs on its way, it will happily feast on them.

This is interesting! The process of eating food by an animal itself deserves special attention and affection. Like most rodents, they pick up food in their tiny paws and then bring it to their mouths. It's nice to watch how deftly these kids handle seeds and berries with their tiny fingers.

Many of us remember Caroll's Alice in Wonderland and the wonderful scene from this work, which describes how Alice meets the dormouse during a tea party. If you think that this is a fictional character and he is simply a figment of Lewis Carroll’s imagination, then we have to... please you - this is not so. Perhaps the author slightly embellished the image of the rodent, but it actually exists, and it looks like an ordinary mouse with a fluffy tail, just like a squirrel’s (by the way, you can read about the peculiarities of keeping squirrels at home). Moreover, in Lately More and more often, this creature can be found at home - not only Alice fans have it, but also those who adore all kinds of small animals and believe that caring for them is much easier than caring for a cat or dog. Is it really? Yes, and how to generally care for a dormouse, what to feed it at home - our publication will tell you about all this...

Description of Sony

I would like to say right away that these are very small rodents, and an adult dormouse can easily fit in the palm of an adult. Dormouses became domesticated quite recently, and this was facilitated by a reduction in the number of dormouse in natural conditions. In order to somehow save these rodents, which, by the way, come in two types - with a bushy tail (they live in trees and live like squirrels), and with a bare tail (they live on the ground), they decided to bring them to Krasnaya book, and later began to engage in their home breeding. Yes, from the conditions wildlife Dormice ended up in pet stores and settled in the homes of rodent lovers. To date, 9 genera of dormouse and 28 species are known, all of which are members of the dormouse family and belong to the suborder Squirrel-like, the order of rodents.

Where do dormouse live in Nature?

In nature, dormouse rodents live in forest-steppe and steppe zones North Africa, Europe, Asia Minor, Altai and even in northern regions Japan and China, in northern Scandinavia and southern Africa - where only one species of African dormouse lives. By the way, most often you can still find squirrel-shaped dormice with a bushy tail that live in trees. There are even those who never descend to the ground in their entire lives - they live in trees, build nests there, reproduce... But ground dormouse, on the contrary, never sets foot on trees, preferring to dig holes at the roots or settle under fallen trunks. There is also a type of garden dormouse, however, they are usually considered pests, since they destroy many useful plants, from which you plan to harvest.

What does Sonya look like?

As you may have guessed, mouse-like dormouse are more like, but squirrel-like dormouse look like squirrels. Both of them rarely reach sizes larger than 20 centimeters. They all have round, noticeable ears, as well as large, bulging dark eyes. They have sharp claws on their paws, which help arboreal individuals confidently climb trees. By the way, an interesting feature,

some rodents do not have a claw on one of the toes on the hind leg - and this is not a pathology, but rather an anomaly.

The soles of the dormouse's paws are hard and rough, and if you place a rodent on your palm, you will definitely feel it. The dormouse's fur is soft, and the pile is long, but not too fluffy, but rather smooth, therefore, long and thick on the tail (its length can reach 17 centimeters) it stands out well. The coloring of dormouse is usually yellowish-gray.

How many years do dormouse live?

You won’t believe it, but these rodents have a rather rare life expectancy for their kind - in the wild they can live up to 5 years, and in captivity, with good care, up to 3 years. Who knows, perhaps the answer lies in the fact that every winter dormice hibernate.

Features of keeping dormouse at home

If you decide to have a sleepyhead at home, you should take care to create the most comfortable conditions for her. By the way, if you want to keep several rodents - no problem, these creatures get along well with each other, the main thing is that the room or cage where they will live is spacious enough for them, otherwise the animals’ muscles will atrophy, they will gain intensively weight and may start to hurt.

For keeping it is better to use spacious cages or enclosures in which you can create a dormouse natural landscape If you cover the bottom with moss or peat, lay out thick branches or driftwood. Some even plant edible shrubs in such enclosures or place pots with garden shrubs and grass. Of course, in an enclosure or in a cage there should be a shelter for hibernation - for these purposes, a pipe may be suitable, which you insert into a hole dug in advance, which will end in a “nest” - the functions of which will be performed by an insulated box lined with dry grass.

If you do not have the opportunity to provide the rodent with a spacious enclosure, you will have to limit yourself to a large cage - here the requirements for its equipment are somewhat different, although quite standard - a retractable tray, filler (you can use sawdust), a drinking bowl, bowls, toys - a running wheel, a nest...

Wherever your dormouse lives - in a cage or in an enclosure, it will be necessary to clean it daily and periodically disinfect it. Otherwise, very soon the dormouse in your house will begin to emanate from your home. bad smell, and unsanitary conditions will arise inside the cage or enclosure, which are favorable for the occurrence of various diseases.

Sony cage requirements

Cages made of organic glass and other synthetic materials, although practical and easy to clean, should be used with caution when using disinfectants.

As for the shape of the cage, rectangular is considered the most convenient, while round and multifaceted cages are not practical and easy to clean, regardless of what material they are made of.

Where is the best place to place a cage with a dormouse?

The cage with the rodent should be placed away from electrical and heating appliances, and at a distance of no less than 20 centimeters from the walls. Avoid drafts and direct contact sun rays to a rodent's home. Well, there should be enough light around the cage and inside it - if necessary, you can install additional lighting, making sure in advance that it does not harm the life and health of your sleepyhead.

Dormouse nutrition

What do dormouse eat in captivity?

Since dormouse most often live in trees, they feed on what can be found on them - these are fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves, and small insects. Terrestrial species of rodents love to feast on grass, but arboreal ones - they sometimes even commit crimes - they destroy bird nests in order to feast on bird eggs.

What to feed the dormouse at home

Taking into account the features of the natural diet, you can create an appropriate menu for your pet, including in excess plant foods, grain mixtures, seeds, fruits, and nuts. Sometimes you can spoil your sleepyhead with carrots and bread. You can feed the animal with eggs, boiled meat, milk and cottage cheese, and small insects. By the way, the favorite delicacy, according to many owners of these cute animals, are mealworms - you will have to take care of breeding a whole colony for your pet. And, as a vitamin supplement, you can give them rodent vitamins or add fish oil to their main diet.

Also make sure that there is always fresh and clean water in the rodent's drinking bowl.

Given the characteristics of dormouse in eating a lot and often, owners of rodents need to monitor the volume of portions and frequency of feeding the animals, as they are prone to obesity. But, if your animal is going to hibernate in the winter, then gain a little by the fall excess weight- he will really need it, therefore, the autumn diet should differ in calorie content from the summer one.

Animal dormouse is one of the representatives of the squad. They are so small that they fit perfectly in the palm of a person. These tiny mammals have a long, bushy tail that resembles a squirrel's.

But only tree-dwelling species have such a beautiful tail. But another type of these animals is endowed with an ordinary bare tail. This interesting animal can be seen mainly in steppe areas and forest areas. Some of them like to bask in the sun and therefore they are found in the northern and southern parts.

Habitats animal dormouse also common in Altai and Asia Minor. But among these rodents there are species that prefer cooler air. More often animals with a name Sony can be seen in dense woody thickets. So, dormouse lives most of its life among tree branches.

In the photo is Sonya Polchok

Forest dormouse They construct their cozy home in a hollow tree or build a safe, strong nest, which they usually build on powerful branches. Some prefer to use it for housing land plot under a fallen tree trunk, or they dig a hole under the roots.

If such a baby settles on garden plot, then cultivated plants noticeably decrease in number. That's why people don't complain garden dormouse. Today, the number of dormice has decreased significantly, so they began to breed them at home, so as not to completely lose such funny, unique animals.

In the photo there is a forest dormouse

Character and lifestyle

Small rodents are active, do not tolerate loneliness, and love to be among their relatives. They are always active and have difficulty getting along at home. Sonya, How pet It gets along better when it has a mate, but some species prefer loneliness.

These mammals are very cautious and are frightened by any unexpected sounds. Therefore, a shelter must be provided for a pet, otherwise the rodent may suffer a nervous shock.

The hazel dormouse and dormouse are the fastest to get used to people, but you need to get a cute pet in early age, so that there are fewer problems with addiction. Then these babies will be eagerly awaiting your arrival to feast on your hands.

These species have a beautiful fur coat. The very thick and soft fur of any adult will not leave anyone indifferent, but small child will completely amaze you. Look at this photo, where the animal dormouse looks with its black beady eyes so that you involuntarily want to touch this fluffy ball.

Despite harmless appearance, it should be noted that dormice can bite quite strongly, even if you have already become friends with it. This happens because they are very shy and any rustle can provoke a defensive reaction.

More animals dormouse They are very nimble, so if you take the animal in your hands, you may not be able to follow its immediate escape. In a split second, the dormouse will be on your head, and then, perhaps, on the curtain and will eventually be free.

So you need to be on your guard and not give the fugitive the opportunity to disappear from sight. I would like to warn you that you should not grab this animal by the tail, as it is capable of rushing forward and you will only have a thin fluffy skin left in your hands. The trouble is that after this the tail does not grow back.

And these animals deftly crawl into even the narrowest vertical cracks, and it should be noted that not only in trees, but also in domestic dwellings. This is facilitated by the natural gift of shrinking from the sides.

Under natural conditions, such a unique opportunity saves lives. Thanks to its excellent hearing, the dormouse can hide from danger in time. The ears, like locators, constantly rotate independently of each other. The garden dormouse has the largest ears.

Sonya is an animal nocturnal, but in captivity you can change their lifestyle. To do this, you need to illuminate the habitat at night, and backlight it with a blue or red lamp during the day.

Watching their acrobatic tricks can be a great pleasure and great mood all day. Often animal sleepyhead can be seen in a pet store, as well as in a specialized nursery, so it is possible buy such a handsome man for every lover.

Nutrition

The diet of rodents is varied. They include sunflower seeds and all types of nuts in their basic diet. The dormouse's teeth are so sharp that by rotating the nuts in their front paws, they get inside the shell and feast on the wonderful fruit. The little animals are vegetarians, so their menu always contains all types of fruits and vegetables.

But for all species the food is somewhat different from the standard. So for forest, garden and African dormouse, animal food is typical. Also, animals don’t mind being pampered. raw meat, cottage cheese and egg. May beetles, crickets and cockroaches are also the favorite food of dormouse.

If they manage to escape from forced housing, then small rodents, birds and lizards can be an excellent meal. But tree dormice love everything that grows on trees.

Sometimes they prefer small insects. Dormouses, which live in trees, look for bird nests and feast on their eggs. This type of rodent can also attack smaller animals.

Ground dormice are herbivores. The diet traditionally includes dandelion leaves, clover and nettles. garden dormouse, settled near orchard, eat huge quantities of apples, pears and other fruits along with their seeds.

In the photo there is a garden dormouse

To prepare for winter, garden dormouse accumulate fat in the fall and then sleep peacefully in their burrow. In captivity, the dormouse feeds on grains, seeds, fruits and nuts. For a pet I like boiled meat, milk, cottage cheese and chicken eggs.

Reproduction and lifespan of dormouse

Males and females live together very short period. In early spring start at dormouse mating games. During this period, they “sing” funny. The whistle is so loud that if you are nearby, you will probably not be able to sleep at night.

During the day, the animals behave very carefully and quietly. . After mating is complete, the female hurries to build her cozy nest. The mother takes care of the babies mainly herself.

As a rule, 3-5 cubs are born . The dormouse carefully covers the home for her children with soft grass and delicate leaves. About 27–30 days after fertilization, the young are born naked and blind.

Sometimes there are dormouse that live in a small group. In this case, not only the mother, but also all members monitor the newborns. mouse family. Children become independent within 1-2 months. The offspring is an exact copy their relatives. They love to play and eat well.

In captivity, animal reproduction begins after hibernation. For most domestic species, a cage is not an obstacle to reproduction, as long as the pets have a good, nutritious diet.

Only dormouse unable to reproduce in captivity. Interestingly, within a month after birth, the dormouse is capable of childbearing. Basically, offspring appear once a year.

There are up to 10 newborns in a litter. Feeding lasts about three weeks. The animal usually lives in captivity in pairs. Therefore, both parents take care of the babies. funny animals dormouse live from 3 to 6 years. At home, you can increase this period by properly maintaining the animal.