This view of a sleepy dormouse gives an idea of size.
And where they rate on the cuteness scale!! - Any suggestions?
Zzzzzzz...Helen's handful
that's about the cutest thing I've seen yet :)
15 on a scale of 10?
But i'm biased LOL
that's about it LOL
I'm jealous!!
These are wild animals, so i only see them every so often. Usually they're not torpid like this but VERY active. Photos are much harder then LOL!
Phil...that is just so darned cute. Sure not very big either.
Adults weigh in at between about 15gms and (when fattened up and ready to hibernate for the winter) 35gms
When they're ready to hibernate they are really squidgy and feel very strange in the hand. Just layers and layers of fat!
SO CUTE
Philomel! So very sweet!! I want some!! I haven't seen one before, other than drawings in story books. I also love the hedgehogs there; do you have any around your garden? It was winter when I visited England (12 years ago!) and so I missed a great deal. I just love this little fellow(?). I'd like to see him all fattened up and plump. Any chance of getting pre-hybernation pictures? Just adorable.
Soooooo adorable!! I Want One!!!! LOL!
the wee thing looks drunk!!
Mark
Yes, very undignified. It was sleeping on it's side and Helen didn't quite get it lying naturally in her hand. Although it's in torpor, you can see it's uncomfortable and trying to get 'the right way up' LOL
So cute!! I wouldn't mind a few of those in my garden, lol. I'd share a few seeds with them.
I'm worried that my sase hasnt been returned
Cala LOL they don't eat the same things as other mice. They eat shoots, flowers, pollen, nuts and berries. But they absolutely love caterpillars and aphids, so it might be a wise move :)
Sorry Mark, i was worried about that air tight bubblewrap, thought the poor little mite might suffocate. Be better to collect in person!! Do you want the stamp back?
Sorry penny4, i wrote an answer to your post but can't have posted it and thought i had! :(
Yes, i do have hedgehogs in my garden. If you came to UK in winter, both hh's and dormice would have been tucked away hibernating.
Yes that is a fellow (i peeped). i will try and get some photos of squidgy dormice - but no chance til october now.
:)
Do they come into your homes? I can't handle regular mice in the house. If they didn't come inside, I could handle them.
No Brugie, it wouldn't want to invade you - it's far too polite!
They live in the trees and hedgerows, hardly coming down to the ground at all. They wouldn't find anything of interest in a house. The nearest they seem to get is hibernating in people's clumps of pampas grass, so - contrary to a lot of people's opinions - these shouldn't be banned from cultivation after all LOL!
The other thing they don't do is gnaw things - they even have to eat their hazel nuts green, when they're still soft. And they don't dig holes to live in, they use natural tree holes unless they can find a nice comfy box, thoughtfully erected by a dormouse worker!
Another question......do we have these in the states anyplace? Looks like they could be quite a pet.
The poor little fellow looks a bit uncomfortable.. it really reminds me of myself when I fall asleep in my recliner and try to get up out of it... & I definitely would look like the hybernation stage!
These animals only live in europe Brugie. They are completely protected under both european and UK law. It's not only an offence to harm one, it's also illegal to have one as a pet. People keeping them for the captive breeding scheme (one of my friends does this) have to have a special licence and are regularly inspected. You even have to have a licence to handle them (i have one of these). In past centuries children used to pick one up from a hedgerow on their way to school and keep them in their pockets, but they'd be hard pushed to find one now!
Still, we're doing our best now to understand their needs and plan developments etc accordingly.
Yep, they look even cuter when they're ready to hibernate Weez. Like someone stuffed a duvet under their fur :-)
They must be relatives of mine... minus the fur.
LOL Weez, but you're forgetting i've seen your picture. Even allowing for the fur, there's no competition =)
We Alaskans tend to get a big "beefy" over the winter. With luck, the fast pace of summer trims us down to fighting weight. As I get older, the beefing up seems more successful than the trimming down. I wonder if middle-aged dormouses have the same problem?
I'll ask them, but haven't come across any weightwatchers clubs for dormice yet.
Philomel: Check their boxes for those little cans of milkshakes. By the way, I thought you said they were dormouses...were you having me on?
Sorry, thought we'd ironed that one out. 'fraid i jested, they're dormice when more than one. While on the subject, they hibernate (i not y). This language **%$&^**!!!!!! ;P
Well, I have to say, I'm much more comfortable with dormice. Dormouses was a real mouthful. You seem to have all these charming little critters in England. I think a hedge hog has a bit more appeal than our porcupines. Your dormice sure have more charm than our voles. I guess baby seals are cute, but sea lions are another thing altogether. I guess they are quite malodorous, and the males are inclined to kill the young. Yes, our wildlife make your dormices seem quite civilized.
Yep Weez, dormice are very civilized - they even like to attend tea parties, particularly those thrown by Mad Hatters. They have an unfortunate tendency to fall asleep in teapots though, LOL
(I'm assuming everyone has read Alice in Wonderland ;*)
Thanks for all the information. This has been some great reading. Too bad we don't have them in the US. I'm sure they wouldn't last long anyway since most of us hate anything that resembles a field or house mouse.
Philomel: Sleeping in a teapot sounds very inviting to me now.. actually, sleeping anywhere sounds very inviting. I wish I had the dormouse's ability to rouse slowly. In my case, I wake up thinking of all my garden chores. I'll bet the little dormouse could teach us a thing or two about stress control! "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date! No time to say 'Hello! Goodbye!', I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" This is a direct quote from the Disney movie, so it may have little relationship to the novel.
Brugie: Here in Alaska, we do battle with the voles. They like to burrow under our plants and destroy roots over the colder months. They are certainly not as appealing as the dormouse, or we might be less inclined to eraticate them
But don't you just love those furry tails Brugie? That makes them look quite different.
You need a packet of sleeping dust Weez. Will have to send you and Mark a packet each (he's burning the candle at both ends redoing marksgardenplants.com)
Crazy load of plantaholics LOL.
I'm stressing about the cranesbill info I was working on for the plant data base. Most of it is done, but I just haven't finished it yet, and now I am so busy with the green things that I have to lose sleep just to visit on Dave's for an hour or so. Mark has so many interest, that I imagine he is always busy with one thing or another. I admire people like that.
Goodness WZ, you have been busy this morning (well, this evening to you) On my chosen forums alone you've got 13 posts up. Most of them one after the other!!
Happy ziz when you get there :)
Yes, just climbed in the tub.. Dennis got first tub tonight. The old cast iron tub keeps the water hot forever, so I can steal some time to visit in Dave's.
I really miss those days early this spring when I had time to post threads and visit. Now I mosty lurk around and answer what I can. I'm surprised anyone in the warmer part of the US has time to visit Daves, either. It must be time to garden in earnest down there.
Today I finally got one 4x8' table cleared out in the basement so that we can begin tear down. I also cleared the spot in the red shed that is lighted by the haloid light. We'll turn it off tomorrow and break down that table, as well.
Every time I sit down, I am cutting tags, transplanting, etc. Very seldom can I just sit down for the sake of relaxation. I'm in high gear now, & I get anxious if I don't have something in my hands to do. It would be nice to curl up in Helen's hand for awhile... much to Helen's dismay!
LOL, Weez! I just found this thread and just fell in love with the little guy/girl (?) It looks like a combination of a gerbil, hamster & mouse. What I wouldn't love to have one here! So sweet, Philomel ~ thanks for sharing :)
Yes, that might make Helen jump Weez, LOL!
So pleased you like him Morph. The lovely furry tail's the give away. "Yes that is a fellow (i peeped)."
There's another pic and more about dormice here Morph
http://davesgarden.com/showthread/250194.html
:-)
Now I see his position ~ the first time I looked at this I couldn't exactly tell what was what ~ LOL... Glad they're protected by law ~:)
I just saw this post - how neat those little guys are! I love the fuzzy tails. :)
Weezin -- I thought Alaskans got moosey in the winter. Don't just Texans get beefy? LOL
They're great aren't they gw?
Is that moosey as in 'there's a moose loose aboot this hoose' ??? lolol