Dormouse facts by
Eternal_Knight 2012/01/10 17:41
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Height: 6 and 19 cm (2.4 and 7.5 in)
Weight: 15 and 200 g (0.53 and 7.1 oz)
Life Span: Upto 5 years.
Diet: Omnivorous, feeds on flowers, fruit, nuts and insects, depending on their availability at various times of year.
Range: Europe, Africa, central and western Asia, and Japan.
Habitat: deciduous forests, woodlands, grasslands, gardens, parks, rocky areas, or scrub areas
Age of Sexual Maturity: one year
Gestation Period: 22 to 28 days
Number of Offspring: 2 to 8
Interesting & Amazing Information On Dormouse
Dormouse is well acclimatized to climbing and is largely an arboreal animal, where it searches for food in its active time.
It is a lively, yet shy animal and is kept as a pet by many people in Europe. With regular interaction by its owners, it becomes hand tamed and usually climbs on them.
Dormouse is used as food source by humans, as it stores food in its body, in the form of fat. It is either eaten as a tasty appetizer or as a dessert dipped in poppy seeds and honey.
The animal hibernates in winter and the hibernation period can last for more than three quarters of the year, if the weather is cold and bad.
During hibernation, the body functions of a dormouse slow down (heart rate and body temperature is lowered) and it takes a lot of time to move itself.
The mammal has a habit of sleeping for long hours and its popular name is thought to have been derived from the French word 'dormir', meaning 'to sleep'.
Its long hibernation period has led people to call it by names like dory mouse, dozing mouse, sleeper, and sleep mouse.
A young dormouse is born after a gestation period of 22 to 28 days and is hairless, with its eyes closed. The eyes are opened after 18 days of birth and it become active after 10 weeks.
Dormouse lives in nests that are built of grass and interwoven with honey suckle, either a few feet above the ground in brambles or in the forest canopy.
The mammal prefers to stay in small family groups, with the number depending on the availability of food.
R49hu 2012/01/10 18:55
wow nice info today only i am seeing creatures like this -up-
TheMouse 2012/01/10 22:26
Well done research on my ancestors. Not to be confused with the doormouse, the mouse which opens the door for U at a hotel entrance. U're supposed to give it a generous tip.
Trax 2012/01/11 12:35
love is blind.
.Armaan. 2012/01/12 10:15
Nice mousy topic
TemPEST 2012/01/15 00:41
Interesting -goodjob-
punamchand 2012/01/15 02:35
i like.i m msc in zoology.
jaQui 2012/01/15 20:54
Is it a hamster?
Zibra 2012/01/19 11:39
Going slow
mab21 2012/01/20 09:43
He's so cuuttteeeee OMG!!! I want one for my birthday!!!(happy)
Shanna 2012/03/10 06:44
its shoooo cute........
#77
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