the dormouse is one of the possierlichsten and most graceful small-mammals of our home. it belongs to the real mice in no way, has like its name suspected but our smallest native Bilch is.
Shape The mouse-big animals look really very comely with its monochrome yellow-reddish fur, the button-eyes and the weakly bushy tail. At beginning of this century, as still the gold-hamster nearly unknown and the guinea pigs not yet so widespread was, many lovers kept dormice as cage-animals. Today however, the dormouse, as all sleeper-types, stands under strict nature conservation.
Way of life How Bilche finished, also the dormice lead a nightly life. During the day, they sleep in its small, only fist-big, spherical nests, that they build skillfully from grass, leaves and moss. Occasionally, they live in also empty Vogelnistkästen.
The dormouse climbs marked, it is a deft "gymnast" and takes also the tail with difficult practices to help. it becomes really vigorously only with the twilight and ever goes seeds, hazelnuts and insects, after berries, buds, on the search after, what has to offer the season exactly at vegetable and animal delicacies.
Habitat The dormouse preferentially young Mischwaldbestände, that became matted something with blackberries and other undergrowth. Also at forest paths and in bushy clearings, one can discover its ball-nests in one to two meters of height.
Reproduction, hibernation Dormice can two, sometimes rear even three throws one after the other maybe. The Tragzeit is quite short with 22-24 days. A throw includes 3-5 young, that leave the nest with approximately 6 weeks.
In the autumn, the dormice fatten themselves, about during its long one, to live from October to April of lasting hibernation from its bulges. The hibernation becomes, often held to several, in protected burrows or in foliage-pile. In very strict winters, however many of these heat-loving animals freeze to death.
Picture-sources: < A HREF = "http://www.digicamclub.de/4images/details.php?image_id=14349" > Ulrich Wienand < /A > - thank you for the support of the World of Animals!
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