? Garden dormouse
Garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Subclass: Placentalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Myomorpha Family: Gliridae Genus: Eliomys Species: E. quercinus
Binomial name
Eliomys quercinus Linnaeus, 1766

The garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) is a rodent in the dormouse family. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Subkingdom Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subkingdom Agnotozoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Subkingdom Metazoa Radiata Cnidaria Ctenophora - Comb jellies Bilateria Protostomia Acoelomorpha Platyhelminthes - Flatworms Nemertina - Ribbon worms Gastrotricha Gnathostomulida - Jawed worms Micrognathozoa Rotifera - Rotifers Acanthocephala Priapulida Kinorhyncha Loricifera Entoprocta Nematoda - Roundworms Nematomorpha - Horsehair worms Cycliophora Mollusca - Mollusks Sipuncula - Peanut worms Annelida - Segmented... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Orders Superorder Xenarthra: Pilosa Cingulata Infraclass Epitheria: Superorder Afrotheria: Afrosoricida (Golden mole and tenrec) Macroscelidea (Elephant shrew) Tubulidentata (Aardvark) Hyracoidea (Hyrax) Proboscidea (Elephant) Sirenia (Manatee, Dugong) Superorder Laurasiatheria: Chiroptera (Bats) Insectivora (Shrews, Moles) Cetacea (Whale, dolphin) Artiodactyla (Ruminants et al) Perissodactyla(Horse et al. ... Families Many, see text The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ... Suborder Myomorpha contains nearly a quarter of all mammal species. ... Subfamilies and Genera Graphiurinae Graphiurus Leithiinae Dryomys Eliomys Hypnomys Myomimus Selevinia Myoxinae Glirulus Muscardinus Glis Dormice are Old World mammals in the family Gliridae, part of the rodent (Rodentia) order. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... A painting of Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as Carl von Linné  ?, and who wrote under the Latinized name Carolus Linnaeus (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of taxonomy. ... Families See Classification Section The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ... Subfamilies and Genera Graphiurinae Graphiurus Leithiinae Dryomys Eliomys Hypnomys Myomimus Selevinia Myoxinae Glirulus Muscardinus Glis Dormice are Old World mammals in the family Gliridae, part of the rodent (Rodentia) order. ...

Features

The length of a dormouse, excluding the tail, is 10 to 15 centimeters (4 to 6 inches), with the tail adding an additional 8 to 14.5 cm (3 to 5³⁄₄ inches). It weighs 60 to 140 grams (2 to 5 ounces). Its upper side is gray to brown and its underside is white. The garden dormouse can be recognized by its black eye markings, relatively large ears, short hair, and the white tassel at the end of its tail.

Range and habitat

In spite of its name, the main habitat of the garden dormouse is the forest, although it can also be found in fruit-growing regions. It is quite common in southern Europe, but can also be found in the northern regions. Garden dormice are often found in the Alps, in the Bavarian Forest, in the Ore Mountains, and on rare occasions, in northern Germany, which apparently has a population not capable of large-scale reproduction. World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... The West face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... The Bavarian Forest (German: Bayerischer Wald) is a low mountain range in Bavaria, Germany. ... In the 19th century the Erzgebirge mountains were a centre for lace making. ...

Way of life

Garden dormice are primarily nocturnal animals that sleep through the day in spherical nests in trees. At night they look for food, mainly eating larger insects like grasshoppers and beetles, snails, eggs, young nestlings, small mice, and spiders, as well as berries, fruit, and nuts like acorns and beechnuts. While omnivorous, the diet of dormice contains slightly more animal protein that vegatation. Orders Subclass Apterygota Symphypleona - globular springtails Subclass Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) Subclass Dicondylia Monura - extinct Thysanura (common bristletails) Subclass Pterygota Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Blattodea (cockroaches) Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Zoraptera Grylloblattodea Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets... Families Superfamily: Proscopioidea Proscopiidae Superfamily: Eumastacoidea Eumastacidae Thericleidae Superfamily: Xyronotoidea Tanaoceridae Xyrotonotidae Superfamily: Pampagoidea Pamphagidae Superfamily: Pyrgomorphoidea Pyrgomorphidae Superfamily: Trigonopteryguidea Borneancrididae Trigonopterygidae Superfamily: Acridoidea Acrididae Cyrtacanthacridinae Romaleidae Superfamily: Tetrigoidea Batrachideidae Tetrigidae Superfamily: Tridactyloidea Tridactylidae Ripipterygidae Superfamily: Cylindrichaetoidea Cylindrichaetidea Unknown: Charilaidae Dericorythidae Euschmidtiidae Lathiceridae Lentulidae Lithidiidae Ommexechidae Pneumoridae Pyrgacrididae Tridactylidae Tristiridae... Suborders Adephaga Archostemata Myxophaga Polyphaga See subgroups of the order Coleoptera Beetles are one of the main groups of insects. ... Giant African Snail (Achatina fulica) The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. ... Feral mouse The mouse is a mammal that belongs to one of numerous species of small rodents in the genus Mus and various related genera of the family Muridæ (Old World Mice). ... Suborders Araneomorphae Mesothelae Mygalomorphae See the taxonomy section for families Spiders are invertebrate animal(s) that produce silk, have eight legs and no wings. ... Several types of berries from the market, but none of these are true berries. ... Fruit stall in Barcelona, Catalonia. ... Hazelnuts from the Common Hazel Chestnuts // Botanical definition A nut is a testicle between ones legs Order Fagales Family Juglandaceae (or are they? See the discussion) Walnut, Butternut (Juglans) Hickory, Pecan (Carya) Wingnut (Pterocarya) Family Fagaceae Chestnut (Castanea) Beech (Fagus) Oak (Quercus) Stone-oak, Tanoak (Lithocarpus) Family Betulaceae Alder... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Species Fagus crenata - Japanese Beech Fagus engleriana - Chinese Beech Fagus grandifolia - American Beech Fagus hayatae - Taiwan Beech Fagus japonica - Japanese Blue Beech Fagus longipetiolata - South Chinese Beech Fagus lucida - Shining Beech Fagus mexicana - Mexican Beech or Haya Fagus orientalis - Oriental Beech Fagus sylvatica - European Beech Beech (Fagus) is a genus... An omnivore (from Latin: omnis all; vorare to devour) is an animal that eats both plants and meat. ...

The mating period lasts from April to June. During this time, the female indicates her readiness to mate by squeaking loudly. After a 23 day gestation period, three to seven blind, naked young are born. After about eighteen days, they open their eyes and are nursed up until an age of one month. After two months they become independent, but do not become sexually mature until the next year. Their life expectancy is about five years. Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. ...

It is not a rare occasion, especially during mating season, for a garden dormouse to eat one of its unfortunate rivals. Such cannibalism is also observed from time to time when the animal is coming out of hibernation.

A garden dormouse close up

Classification

On the islands of the Mediterranean Sea there are several subspecies of garden dormouse, all of which are very rare. These are the Sardinian garden dormouse (E. q. sardus), the Sicilian garden dormouse (E. q. dichrurus) and the Liparian garden dormouse (E. q. liparensis). The populations of western Asia and north Africa, on the other hand, have recently been separated into their own species Eliomys melanurus. Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ...

References

• ITIS report

This article includes information translated from the German and French Wikipedias.