#gliridae

Monard's Dormouse Graphiurus monardi

It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and possibly Zambia. Its natural habitat is moist Central Zambezian miombo woodlands savanna.

A European edible dormouse (Glis glis) in Buckinghamshire, England

European edible dormouse (Glis glis)

Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)

Family: Gliridae (Dormouse Family)

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Found primarily in deciduous woodland habitats across much of Europe and western Asia, the Hazel Dormouse can be distinguished from other dormouse species thanks to its yellowish fur and exceptionally small size (rarely exceeding 7-8cm in length, while other dormice are typically around 10-18cm long.) Primarily arboreal with powerful gripping digits and a semi-prehensile tail, it inhabits a surprisingly large (roughly grapefruit-sized) nest that it builds in the lower branches of trees and shrubs and climbs between plants in search of fruit, small insects and seeds (particularly hazelnuts, the seeds of hazel tree fruits, which make up the majority of its diet.) In mid October Hazel Dormice climb to the ground, construct thick nests out of grass and enter a period of deep hibernation, sleeping until late April or early May to compensate for the lack of food and shelter available to them when the deciduous trees they heavily rely on shed their leaves in the winter. Although it is fairly abundant worldwide, it is regionally threatened in the United Kingdom due to the introduction of the invasive European Edible Dormouse and the destruction of its forest habitat.

During the mid-Pleistocene, between about 900,000 and 500,000 years ago, the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Sicily were connected and shared a unique ecosystem made of up a mix of weird endemic species. While the tiny elephants and giant swans are probably the most famous, there were also several other unusual animals such as dwarf hippos, huge owls, large cranes, giant tortoises, and big lizards.

And also massive rodents.

Leithia melitensis, the Maltese giant dormouse, was descended from garden dormice, but thanks to the lack of large land predators on Siculo-Malta it was able to evolve a much much larger body size – about 60-70cm long (2'-2'4"), almost the size of a cat.

Recent reconstructions of its skull have shown it was also proportioned differently compared to its tiny modern relatives, more chunkily built with a shorter and wider snout, bigger teeth, and thicker cheekbones that must have anchored some incredibly powerful muscles for chewing. It may have been eating a much more herbivorous diet than other dormice, processing a lot of tough fibrous vegetation.

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Jentink's Dormouse Graphiurus crassicaudatus

It is found in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo, and possibly Benin, Equatorial Guinea, and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical, moist lowland forests.

Stone Dormouse Graphiurus rupicola

It is found in Namibia, South Africa, and possibly Angola. Its typical habitat is in rocky outcrops and in kopjes (rocky, elevated areas on an otherwise flat plain) where it lives in crevices.

Small-eared Dormouse Graphiurus microtis

A rodent found throughout central and southern Africa. They live in savanna or woodland habitats and have a commensal relationship with humans.