Dormouse

Dormouse ( Muscardinus avellanarius )

The dormice ( Gliridae ), also called sleepers or sleeping mice, are a family of rodents ( Rodentia ).

General

It is in the Bilchen to externally croissant -like animals with a body length 6-19 cm and a tail length of 4-16 cm. A hallmark is the striking and long bushy tail (except mouse sleeper ). The eyes are very large, the ears small and round.

Dormice are found in Europe, Asia and Africa, and preferably live in trees and bushes. Depending on the habitat they spend the winter or dry season sleep. At night, they go in search of food. In many behaviors they resemble the squirrels. Like these, they eat nuts, fruits and insects as well as complementary feeding birds' eggs and young birds.

Nomenclature

To put it gave the scientific name of the family some confusion, as particularly in the Anglo-Saxon literature, the synonym Myoxidae is in use. This is based on the naming of the Dormouse, the genus Glis was often referred to with Myoxus. Wilson & Reeder argued, the genus name Glis had appeared in a work nichtbinominaler nomenclature and thus invalid. Many key works had in his time connected with this view. In 1998, the ICZN this dispute to an arbitration to an end. In the case in 1894 she explained Glis for the valid name. Consequently, Gliridae is the correct family name. The use of Myoxus and Myoxidae is thus finally discarded.

System

Due to their similar appearance, the mice dormice were calculated for a long time to the relatives mice ( Myomorpha ). Based on molecular genetic studies, however, a relationship with the croissant seems more likely, recent works they therefore result in the subordination of the squirrel family ( Sciuromorpha ).

Wilson & Reeder distinguish three subfamilies. The formerly named fourth subfamily Stachelbilche be classified correctly in the mice -like and not at the Bilchen.

• Subfamily Graphiurinae African dormice ( Graphiurus )

• Japanese dormouse ( Glirulus )
• Dormouse ( Glis )

• Tree Sleepers ( Dryomys )
• Chinese dormice ( Chaetocauda )
• Garden dormouse ( Eliomys )
• Dormice ( Muscardinus )
• Mouse sleepers ( Myomimus )
• Salzkrautbilche ( Selevinia )