Fat or Edible Dormouse
Myoxus glis is a European species. It occurs from France and northern Spain to the Volga River and northern Iran. M. glis also occurs on the islands of Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Crete, and Corfu. They inhabits deciduous or mixed forests and fruit orchards in both the lowlands and mountains. The most common site for daily shelter is the hollow of trees. The hollows may be lined with grass or other vegetation. M. glis also shelters in crevices between rocks, burrows among tree roots, woodpecker holes, piles of mulch, attics, barns, and artificial nest boxes.
Fat or edible dormouse
The approximate length of the head-body is 14-20 cm. They have a gray back and head with dark, narrow rings around the eyes. The under parts are white or yellowish. Their pelage is short, soft, and thick. These animals are squirrel-like with large and rounded ears, small eyes, and a long bushy tail (11-19 cm). The hands and feet are both equipped with hard pads for use in climbing. The four digits of the forefeet and the five digits of the hind feet have short, curved claws.
Reproduction
Myoxus glis have one litter a year. The litter can consist of 1-11 individuals, but usually falls in the range of 4-6 offspring. Their gestation period is 30-32 days and the young weigh 1-2 g at birth. M. glis is usually weaned at 5-6 weeks and reaches maturity after 1-2 years. To attract males to mate, the females will drag their anal region across the ground to produce an odor marking. These trails are eagerly sniffed by the males, which then leave their marks on top. Also, edible dormice can make a whistling sounds at short intervals over long periods, which announce their willingness to mate. The wanting male pursues the female and makes a fine chirping sound with its mouth closed. At first, the female runs away or defends itself, purring and rattling its teeth and beating its paws. It may even jump the male and bite it. These acts are believed to be play because when the male gives up the female will follow it. After mating, the female spends more time bringing nesting material into the den and becomes very sensitive to interference. It uses hairs and feathers as lining material. The nests are usually off the ground, in a hole in a tree for example. The young of M. glis exit the womb with the hind end first. The offspring are quite undeveloped at birth. The external ears unfold after 5 days; the auditory canal opens after 12 days; the eyelids separate after 21 days; the lower rodent teeth come through after 13 days while the upper ones come through after 2o days. Mating season for M. glis is usually in July. The young are born around August, which gives about two months of growing time before they have to hibernate at the end of October.
Behavior
The edible dormouse is primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, though occasionally it is active during the day. It is highly arboreal, and its agility in the trees may exceed that of squirrels. Some have been known to leap 7-10 meters. It has exceptionally good senses of vision, hearing, smell, and touch (through its vibrissae). Individuals visit many trees each night in search for food. The edible dormouse is territorial, marking its space by glandular secretions. Individuals are quarrelsome, and males have been reported to fight savagely during breeding season. Males usually leave the females after mating in search for other females. Myoxus glis hibernates from September/October to May/June. In late summer, edible dormice dig tunnels about 3-6 feet long and about 6-24 inches deep When it begins to get cold, most edible dormice retire to these tunnels where they are protected from frost. Some edible dormice winter aboveground in haylofts, under decayed trees, in beehouses, or in the nests of red squirrels. Several animals have been found hibernating together. This is especially common for females. The decisive signal to begin storing fat for hibernation seems to be the decreasing length of daylight. While hibernating, they decrease the body heat generated to 2 percent of the amount during the waking state; the breathing rate decreases to about 1-3 respirations per minute. They wake up immediately when touched, which shows that their nervous system works well during hibernation.
Food Habits
Myoxus glis is omnivorous. It feeds mainly on seeds, leaves, buds, nuts, berries, acorns, and soft fruits. They eat insects occasionally and have been known to eat small birds. In captivity they should be offered a complete diet of rodent lab blocks, and rat or mouse mix, with bits of fruit or veggies regularly. Cheerios or wheat bread are great treats, in small quantities. Do NOT feed chocolate, fried foods, salted foods, candy or junk food! They may enjoy crickets and mealworms if they are captive bred, never feed wild insects as they may carry parasites. Vitamins, like Nutri-Cal are a good addition to their diet, and added calcium during nursing and growth due to demands on their systems at those times, but take care not to overdo it. Water bottles should be used to proved constant, clean water. Ceramic or stoneware food dishes work well for keeping seeds or fresh foods off the floor, and a wire mesh hopper that allows them to eat the lab blocks through without extra waste.
