The Japanese dormouse (Glirulus japonicus) is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae endemic to Japan. It is the only extant species within the genus Glirulus.[2] Its natural habitat is temperate forests. In Japanese, it is called yamane (やまね or 山鼠). Among dormice, it has the special ability of running at great speed upside down, suspended from branches. Its main food is fruit, insects, berries, nuts, and even flowers. It tends to inhabit arboreal nesting sites to avoid interspecific competition with the small Japanese field mouse (Apodemus argenteus) because of their sympatric relationship.[3]
| Japanese dormouse | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Gliridae |
| Subfamily: | Glirinae |
| Genus: | Glirulus |
| Species: | G. japonicus
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| Binomial name | |
| Glirulus japonicus (Schinz, 1845)
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Description
editJapanese dormice have a similar appearance to squirrels and mice.[4] Japanese dormice are some of the smallest types of dormice only weighing up to 40 grams, with the body being less than 8 centimeters (3 inches) long and the tail being up to 6 centimeters (2 inches).[5] Japanese dormice live for 2-5 years.[6]
Behavior
editDiet
editJapanese dormice are omnivores and have a diet mainly consisting of fruits, berries, nuts, insects, and even flowers.[7] Japanese dormice diet also consists of spiders, bird eggs and nestlings, other small rodents and even other dormice.[8]
References
edit
- ^ Cassola, F. (2016). "Glirulus japonicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T9246A22222495. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T9246A22222495.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Holden, M. E.. 2005. Family Gliridae. pp. 819–841 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
- ^ Nakamura-Kojo, Yumena; Kojo, Nobuaki; Tamate, Hidetoshi B. (8 April 2016). "Spatial Differences in Arboreal Activity of Two Rodents, the Japanese Dormouse ( Glirulus japonicus) and the Small Japanese Field Mouse ( Apodemus argenteus )". Annales Zoologici Fennici. 53 (1–2): 81–90. doi:10.5735/086.053.0207. ISSN 0003-455X. S2CID 87216233.
- ^ Shaw, Matthew. "Glirulus japonicus (Japanese dormouse)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- ^ "Japanese dormouse | rodent | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- ^ "Dormouse". AZ Animals. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- ^ "Dormouse - Facts, Habitat, Pictures, Diet, Information | Animals Adda". animalsadda.com. 26 May 2018. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ "dormouse | rodent | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
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