Mouse sleeper
| Mouse sleeper | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Myomimus roachi | ||||||||||||
| ( Bate , 1937) |
The mouse dormouse ( Myomimus roachi ) is a small rodent belonging to the dormouse family .
External features
The mouse dormouse is a stocky dormouse whose tail is quite short with an average of 78% of the body length. The head-trunk length is 70 to 130 millimeters. The tail is 60 to 100 millimeters long, the hind feet 20 millimeters and the ears 13 to 18 millimeters. The condylobasal length is 24 to 28 millimeters. The animals weigh 21 to 70 grams. The upper side is brown-gray with a dark central stripe, while on the underside the fur is light gray to beige. The ears are gray. A face mask is not available. There are 5 pads on the front feet and 6 pads on the back feet. The animals have 14 teats and thus considerably more than other dormice.
distribution
The species occurs in Bulgaria , Turkey and possibly also in Greece . The closed area extends from southeastern Bulgaria from the Black Sea coast north of Burgas first to the southwest and then widening southwards to Thrace to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and Marmara Sea . In western Anatolia the species has only been found in three isolated areas, the exact limits of distribution are still unknown here. Subfossil remains of the species have been found in southern Turkey and Israel, indicating what was once a much larger range.
The species inhabits bushland, river banks and semi-open landscapes with bushes and trees, for example orchards, vineyards and hedges in agricultural areas. The species is absent in areas with intensive agriculture.
Way of life
The mouse sleeper lives more on the ground than other dormice. Its diet consists mainly of seeds. It hibernates underground from October to April. The mouse sleeper stores the fat necessary for this mainly under the skin.
Systematics
Myomimus roachi was first described in 1937 on the basis of fossils by Dorothea Bate .
Hazard and protection
The species is listed in the IUCN Red List as endangered ("vulnerable"). In the European part of Turkey, most of their habitat has been converted into arable land. In Bulgaria, too, there are only a few natural habitats left in the range of the species. Overall, the area of distribution is decreasing. But it is hardly possible to say what exactly is going on with the distribution area, since nothing is known about the exact habitat requirements of the mouse sleeper. The distribution area has also been decreasing more and more since the Pleistocene .
The mouse dormouse is listed by the European Union in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive and is therefore considered to be a species of community interest to be strictly protected, for whose preservation special protected areas must be designated by the member states.
supporting documents
- Stéphane Aulagnier, Patrick Haffner, Anthony J. Mitchell-Jones, François Moutou, Jan Zima: The mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The destination guide. Haupt, Bern et al. 2009, ISBN 978-3-258-07506-8 .
- Myomimus roachi inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.4. Posted by: Kryštufek, B., 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
Web links
- Map of the distribution area in the IUCN Red List