Diversity
The family Gliridae contains 28 species in 9 genera. It can be divided into 3 subfamilies: Graphiurinae ( Graphiurus ); Leithiinae ( Chaetocauda , Dryomys , Eliomys , Muscardinus , Myomimus , and Selevinia ); and Glirinae ( Glirulus and Glis ) (Wilson and Reeder 2005).
The family Gliridae is smaller than it was in the past. More than 30 glirid genera
have become extinct since the Eocene (Daams and De Bruijn 1995).
Geographic Range
Gliridae is an Old World family. Its members are found in sub-saharan Africa, in
Europe north to southern Scandinavia, and in Asia east to southern China and Japan
(Nowak 1999; Vaughan et al. 2000).
Habitat
Glirids live in temperate, subtropical, and tropical forests as well as shrubland,
savannahs, the banks of rivers and streams, rocky outcrops, gardens, and agricultural
areas (Klingener 1984; Nowak 1999; Vaughan et al. 2000). Species in the genus
Selvinia
inhabit desert scrub (Nowak 1999).
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- forest
- scrub forest
- Other Habitat Features
- suburban
- agricultural
- riparian
Physical Description
Glirids are small to medium sized rodents, up to about 190 mm in head-body length.
They resemble squirrels or chipmunks, with compact bodies and bushy tails (except
members of the genera
Selevinia
and
Myomimus
, which have sparsely-furred tails). The limbs are relatively short; the feet are
broad; and the toes are tipped with short, curved claws. Glirids have four functional
digits on their forefeet and five on their hindfeet. Their bodies are covered with
thick, soft fur. Some species have distinctive black facial markings. Most are good
climbers, and arboreal species have well-developed toe pads.
Members of this family are
myomorphous
, but they differ somewhat from the typical myomorph arrangement of the masseter.
Their skulls
have an enlarged
infraorbital foramen
through which passes a slip of the
medial masseter
, as in other myomorphs, but the
zygomatic plate
is not as strongly developed as in most other members of the group. Nerves and blood
vessels pass through this foramen as well as muscle; glirids lack the separate infraorbital
foramen for the passage of nerves and blood vessels that is found in
dipodids
. The
jugal
of glirids is horizontal and does not meet the
lacrimal
. The
mandibles
are unusual in that the
angular process
is bent outwards, and in some genera it is perforated. Glirids are
sciurognathus
.
The
dental formula
of glirids is 1/1, 0/0, 0-1/0-1, 3/3 = 16 or 20. The
incisors
are sharply pointed.
Cheekteeth
are
brachydont
, and their
occlusal surfaces
are made up of a series of cusps and basins or parallel enamel ridges.
Selevinia
(which is sometimes placed in its own family) has very small teeth that scarcely
erupt from the gums. These have a very simple occlusal pattern.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- heterothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
Reproduction
Some glirid species (
Graphiurus
and
Glis
) are territorial and solitary except during the breeding season.
Glis
males have been observed fighting at this time, suggesting that they are polygynous.
Nowak (1999) noted that while
Glis
males have been known to remain with females to help care for their young in captivity,
in the wild males most likely leave to pursue other females. The mating system for
most glirid genera has not been reported.
- Mating System
- polygynous
Glirids breed in the spring and summer, though wild populations of edible dormice
(
Glis glis
) may skip reproduction altogether in years of low food abundance (Ruf et al. 2006).
Females bear one to two litters per year, with 2 to 10 young per litter. The gestation
period ranges from 21 to 30 days. Young open their eyes after about three weeks, and
are weaned and independent after four to six weeks (Nowak 1999).
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- viviparous
Before giving birth, females construct soft, moss-lined nests in which to raise their
offspring. Glirids are
eutherian mammals
; therefore, females provide their young with nutrients through the placenta and then
through their milk. In captivity, male
Glis
have been known to help protect and clean their young, but this behavior has not
been observed in the wild (Nowak 1999).
- Parental Investment
- altricial
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-independence
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
Wild edible dormice (
Glis glis
) have been reported to live up to 12 years. Such a long lifespan may be attributed
to the fact that entire populations skip breeding in poor mast years, allowing them
to put more energy into survival (Ruf et al. 2006). Lifespans of four years have been
reported for other wild dormice (
Dryomys nitedula
and
Muscardinus avellanarius
).
Eliomys quercinus
and
Graphiurus murinus
each live 5 to 6 years in captivity (Carey and Judge 2002).
Behavior
Most glirids are arboreal, though some Eliomys , Dryomys , Graphiurus , and Myomimus are terrestrial. They construct characteristic globular nests of plant matter in trees, shrubs, rock piles, the burrows of other animals, and sometimes even in human habitations (Nowak 1999). Activity patterns are nocturnal and crepuscular (Wahlert et al. 1993). Glirids living in temperate regions put on fat during the fall, then hibernate during inclement weather. Hibernation may last for the majority of the year; Muscardinus individuals, for example, have been reported to hibernate from August until May (Nowak 1999).
Some glirid species are solitary and territorial for part of the year. Territory
sizes of 13.9 ha for males and 8.5 ha for females have been reported for
Graphiurus
.
Glis
mark their territories with secretions from glands. Though males may fight in the
breeding season, several indivdiuals may congregate in the same nest to hibernate.
Muscardinus
live in small colonies and also hibernate in groups, with up to 11 individuals sharing
a nest (Nowak 1999).
- Key Behaviors
- arboreal
- scansorial
- terricolous
- nocturnal
- crepuscular
- motile
- sedentary
- hibernation
- solitary
- territorial
- social
Communication and Perception
These rodents have acute visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile senses. They are
known to emit shrieks, whistles, and chirping noises that may function in communication.
Members of the genus
Glis
scent-mark their territories with glandular secretions (Nowak 1999).
- Other Communication Modes
- scent marks
Food Habits
Glirids are omnivores, feeding on fruit and nuts and also eating invertebrates, birds
and their eggs, and sometimes other rodents.
Selevinia
feeds mostly on insects and spiders (Vaughan et al. 2000). Glirids that hibernate
may store food over the winter and occasionally awake to consume it (Nowak 1999).
- Primary Diet
-
carnivore
- insectivore
- eats non-insect arthropods
- herbivore
- omnivore
- Foraging Behavior
- stores or caches food
Predation
Owls
are the most frequent predators of glirids (Bouvier and Bayle 1989; Vvano and Turini
1996). When alarmed, glirids deliver a painful bite with their sharp incisors, they
may also hiss, spit, and leap high into the air (Nowak 1999). Glirids have the ability
to regenerate their tails if lost to predators (Vaughan et al. 2000).
- Anti-predator Adaptations
- cryptic
Ecosystem Roles
Glirids function as primary, secondary, and higher-level consumers in the ecosystem,
because they eat both plants and animals (Nowak 1999; Vaughan et al. 2000). They
are also prey for
owls
(Bouvier and Bayle 1989; Vvano and Turini 1996).
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Glis
are trapped for their luxuriant fur as well as for their meat, which is considered
a delicacy in parts of Europe (Nowak 1999).
- Positive Impacts
- food
- body parts are source of valuable material
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
These rodents may be detrimental to agriculture, raiding poultry yards and consuming
crops such as plums, grapes, pears, and apples. They also sometimes make themselves
a nuisance when they nest in houses (Nowak 1999).
- Negative Impacts
- crop pest
- household pest
Conservation Status
Of the 29 glirid species, nine are listed as least concern, four are listed as lower
risk, four are listed as vulnerable, and four:
Chaetocauda sichuanensis
,
Glirulus japonicus
,
Myomimus setzeri
, and
Selevinia betpakdalaensis
, are listed as endangered on the 2006 IUCN Red List. Not enough data is available
to rank the remaining eight species. The most immediate threat to glirids is habitat
destruction, though pesticide use and loss of genetic variation in isolated populations
may also lead to declines (Nowak 1999).
Other Comments
Additional Links
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Allison Poor (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
Phil Myers (earlier author), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
- Palearctic
-
living in the northern part of the Old World. In otherwords, Europe and Asia and northern Africa.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- Ethiopian
-
living in sub-Saharan Africa (south of 30 degrees north) and Madagascar.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- scrub forest
-
scrub forests develop in areas that experience dry seasons.
- suburban
-
living in residential areas on the outskirts of large cities or towns.
- agricultural
-
living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture.
- riparian
-
Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream).
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- heterothermic
-
having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- polygynous
-
having more than one female as a mate at one time
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- internal fertilization
-
fertilization takes place within the female's body
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- arboreal
-
Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- crepuscular
-
active at dawn and dusk
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- hibernation
-
the state that some animals enter during winter in which normal physiological processes are significantly reduced, thus lowering the animal's energy requirements. The act or condition of passing winter in a torpid or resting state, typically involving the abandonment of homoiothermy in mammals.
- solitary
-
lives alone
- territorial
-
defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- scent marks
-
communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- stores or caches food
-
places a food item in a special place to be eaten later. Also called "hoarding"
- cryptic
-
having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.
- food
-
A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- insectivore
-
An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- frugivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fruit
- granivore
-
an animal that mainly eats seeds
- omnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats all kinds of things, including plants and animals
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