African dwarf dormouse, African pygmy dormouse, micro squirrel
The woodland dormouse (Graphiurus murinus ) is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is native to southern and eastern Africa and is also known as the African dormouse, African dwarf dormouse, African pygmy dormouse, or colloquially as micro squirrel. Found in limited numbers in the pet trade, it has complicated care requirements compared to other pet rodents. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical, moist montane forests and rivers.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TorporTorpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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ScansorialScansorial animals are those that are adapted to or specialized for climbing. Many animals climb not only in tress but also in other habitats, such...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts withWoodland dormice are small rodents with soft silky hair. Their eyes are large, the cheeks whitish and the ears rounded and brown. The upper parts of the body are some shade of golden or greyish-brown, sometimes with a coppery or reddish tinge, and with a darker streak running along the spine in some individuals. The underparts are pale grey flushed with white or cream. The hind feet of these animals are usually white with a dark streak. The bushy tail is about 85% of the length of the head-and-body, and is the same colour as the dorsal fur.
Woodland dormice are native to southern and eastern Africa. They are found in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These dormice occur in a range of habitats including woodland, grassland, savannah, and rocky areas. They also can be found in degraded and secondary habitats and sometimes enter buildings.
Woodland dormice are mostly arboreal, but in some locations, they are rock-climbing rodents. They are generally solitary when not breeding and live in nests which they build in a crevice or hole in a tree. Among other nest, locations can be abandoned swallows' nests, human habitations, among mosses and other epiphytes, and in the middle of a bush. Woodland dormice are nocturnal and forage alone at night. During winter when temperatures drop, these animals hibernate. Males become very territorial during the breeding season and establish a social hierarchy when they emerge from hibernation. They mark their territory with scents and make warning vocalizations to defend nesting territories. Females scent mark territorial boundaries as well, but they do not make warning vocalizations to chase males away. In order to communicate with each other Woodland dormice use mating and territorial calls, alarm squeaks, and twittering sounds.
Woodland dormice are omnivores. Their diet includes insects and other small invertebrates, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds and fruit.
Little is known about the mating system in Woodland dormice. However, as males become territorial and aggressive towards each other during the breeding season it is suggested that these animals exhibit a polygynous mating system. This means that males mate with more than one female. Woodland dormice usually breed throughout the year with the peak in October-February. Females give birth to 1 or 2 liters per year with 3-4 young in each litter; however, 6 young per litter is also possible. Gestation lasts around 24 days. Mothers nurse their young for 4-6 weeks. They protect them and groom them until pups become independent. Young become reproductively mature at 1 year of age.
There are no known major threats to Woodland dormice at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources do not provide the Woodland dormouse total population size. This animal is common throughout its known range. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today remain stable.