Graphiurus platyops

Geographic Range

Rock dormice, or the flat-headed African dormice, are native to the Ethiopian region which encompasses a majority of Southeastern Africa. Graphiurus platyops are mostly found within south-eastern Africa, within the latitudes 10°S and 30°S and longitudes 25°E and 35°E. They are present in the following countries: Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa.

• Biogeographic Regions
• ethiopian ethiopian
  • native native

Habitat

During daylight hours, rock dormice are mainly found in rocky hillsides and on small hills, where they often take shelter under rocks and within their crevices. They like to find cracks in rock kopjes, along with other types of rock shelters, which are small hills made up of rocks and grass. During the night, rock dormice can usually be seen in the open grasslands foraging for food. Though rock dormice are abundant near rocky habitats, there have been a few instances where individuals were found in scrub thickets, hollowed tree branches and caves.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• savanna or grassland savanna or grassland
• scrub forest scrub forest

• Other Habitat Features
• caves

Physical Description

Rock dormice are medium-sized, with a mean length of 105 mm and a mean weight of 23 g. The dorsal fur coloration is grey, or brownish-grey, and the ventral fur is a white or cream color. Overall, the fur is sleek and rather long (rump hairs 10 mm, guard hairs - outer layer of coat - up to 13 mm). Other features of rock dormice include large eyes, large, rounded, brown ears and a fairly short tail. The rock dormice are distinguishable from their relatives, the small-eared dormice ( Graphiurus microtis ), by their larger size and more brownish colored coat.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• homoiothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes alike

Reproduction

There is limited information related to specific mating systems for rock dormouse, however there have been studies done on a close relative, the woodland dormouse, which reveal the mating systems of these dormice. A study conducted by Madikiza and Do Linh San (2020), showed that woodland dormice would use nesting boxes, communally for mating and breeding. In captivity, male dormice show strong signs of territoriality and will possibly kill and eat another invading male (Webb and Skinner, 1995).

• Mating System
• polygynandrous (promiscuous) polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Currently there is little information on the breeding behavior of rock dormice, but there is information on the closely related woodland dormouse ( Graphiurus murinus ). For G. murinus , breeding can occur throughout the year, but most breeding occurs during the spring and summer (October to February). Females can have up to two litters of pups per year, with an average of 3 to 4 pups per litter, and have a gestation time of approximately 24 days. Newborn G. murinus are independent and weaned around 5 to 6 weeks. About a year after the pupa are born, the dormice are sexually mature.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
• viviparous viviparous
• post-partum estrous

Limited information has been reported on parental investment for rock dormice but based on information of the close relative, woodland dormice, it is known that mothers remain near the nest and care for pups when they are first born. The mothers will nurse, groom and protect the pups until they have reached independence. The fathers are not brought up within the literature, and it can be inferred that the father would leave the pups with the mother. This would be due to the fact that mammal fathers cannot contribute much to the pups development, or at least not as much as the mother can.

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• female parental care female parental care
• pre-fertilization
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-independence
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female

Lifespan/Longevity

Currently, there is no information on the lifespan of rock dormice, however, members of their family ( Gliridae ) live an average of 5 years in the wild. A close relative of Graphiurus platyops , G. murinus , can live up to 5 to 6 years in the wild and an average of 5.9 years in captivity.

Behavior

Rock dormice are aggressive, nocturnal, terricolous mammals that shelter in rocks. If intruders do not back off after the warning calls from the rock dormouse, the dormouse would fight off the intruders. Rock dormice are most active during the night, sometimes early morning, and like to find shelter within the crevices of rocks to escape the heat of the day. They are said to be solitary, spending most of their time alone, except during mating season where there are sometimes groups of dormice (based on information of the closely related Graphiurus murinus ).

• Key Behaviors
• terricolous
• nocturnal nocturnal
• motile motile
• social social
• dominance hierarchies dominance hierarchies

Home Range

African dormice ( Graphiurus species) as a whole have a relatively large home range, with males having a larger range than females. A close relative to rock dormice, spectacled dormice ( G. ocularis ), have home ranges of 13.9 hectares (34 acres) and 8.5 hectares (21 acres) for males and females, respectively. The difference in home ranges between the female and male may be due to males looking for more mates. For females, this could be due to trying to be energy sufficient and not waste too much energy looking for food. Females want to be energy sufficient because if they need to reproduce, they need to save as much energy as possible to have a healthy offspring.

Communication and Perception

Rock dormice communicate via visualization, vocalization and scent. Rock dormice tend to show signs of major aggression towards intruders, which consist of a mix of visual and vocalized signals. Dormice will give off a warning call to intruders through soft, constant, short, low-pitched notes. Another sign of aggression is that the dormice will rapidly whip their tails and spit. If the intruder persist, rock dormice will fight. Based on results from an observational study, it has been suggested that rock dormice leave scent trails (Kingdon, 2013). During the study a dormouse had went into an unbaited tunnel trap, after the first individual entered it, others had seemed to follow the first individual into the tunnel. This observation suggested that rock dormice use scent trails.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• scent marks scent marks

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Rock dormice are nocturnal omnivores and are known to consume seeds, insects and green vegetation (Kingdon, 2013), all of which have been found in their stomachs.

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • insectivore insectivore
• herbivore herbivore
  • granivore granivore
• omnivore omnivore

• Animal Foods
• insects

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• seeds, grains, and nuts

Predation

There is limited research on the predators of rock dormice, however, a close relative that also inhabits southern eastern Africa, woodland dormice ( Graphiurus murinus ) has a documented predator, the Mackinder's eagle owl ( Bubo capensis mackinderi ). Since this species cooccurs, and lives in generally the same location with rock dormice, it is likely that the owl is a predator of rock dormice. Since rock dormice are nocturnal, this limits the potential for predation. During the day the dormice use camouflage by settling in rock crevices.

• Anti-predator Adaptations
• cryptic cryptic

Ecosystem Roles

Rock dormice contribute to controlling the insect populations in the surrounding areas because they are a substantial part of their diet. Rock dormice also disperse seeds via ingestion and egestion.

The relationships rock dormice have with other animals are examples of parasitism and predation. Rock dormice have a parasitic flea in the chimaeropsyllid family, where the flea benefits from the dormouse (host), but the dormouse is being negatively affected. The negative effects include blood lost, skin irritation and damage and transmission of pathogens. The Mackinder's eagle owl is likely a predator of rock dormice.

• Ecosystem Impact
• disperses seeds

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Rock dormice do not have specific roles in the daily lives of humans; however, they could control the pest insect populations through predation. Species in the dormouse family ( Gliridae ), containing rock dormice, have been a source of food for people in Europe since the Roman Ages and were considered a delicacy.

• Positive Impacts
• food food
• controls pest population

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Species in the genus Graphiurus , are possible hosts of the monkeypox virus ( Orthopoxviridae ), a virus that resembles smallpox. This virus caused an outbreak in 2003 within the U.S. after a shipment of animals came from Africa. One out of the six species shipped was a species in the genus Graphiurus . The exact species that brought the virus to the U.S. is unknown, and raises the chances that rock dormice ( Graphiurus platyops ) are a possible host.

• Negative Impacts
• injures humans
  • carries human disease

Conservation Status

Based on the IUCN Red List, rock dormice are of least concern, however, there is little information known on their true populations and abundance, so it may be more accurate to label the species as data deficient.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Caroline Fagan (author), Colorado State University, Nathan Dorff (editor), Colorado State University, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

References

Bertolino, S., E. Do Linh San. 2010. Nest box use by woodland dormice (Graphiurus murimus): The influence of life cycle and nest box placement. European Journal of Wildlife Research , 56: 735-743.

Do Linh San, E., S. Bertolino, Z. Madikiza. 2019. Population biology of the woodland dormouse Graphiurus murinus in a riverine Combretum forest, South Africa. African Zoology , 54/2: 105-113. Accessed March 02, 2021 at https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2019.1614479 .

Hensbergen, H., A. Channing. 1989. Habitat preference and use of space by the namtap Graphiurus ocularis(Rodentia: Gliridae).. Mammalia , 53(1): 25-34.

Holden, M., R. Levine. 2009. Chapter 9. Systematic Revision of Sub-Saharan African Dormice (Rodentia: Gliridae: Graphiurus) Part II: Description of a New Species of Graphiurus from the Central Congo Basin, Including Morphological and Ecological Niche Comparisons with G. crassicaudatus and G. lorraineus. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History , 331: 314-355.

Kingdon, J. 2013. Mammals of Africa. Volume III: Rodents, Hares and Rabbits . London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Kock, D., W. Scholze, H. Rödel. 2002. Diet of Mackinder's eagle owl Bubo capensis mackinderi in the alpine zone of Mount Kenya. African Journal of Ecology , 40/3: 283-288.

Lipatova, I., M. Stanko, A. Paulauskas, S. Spakovaite, V. Gedminas. 2015. Skip Nav Destination Article Navigation Fleas (Siphonaptera) in the Nests of Dormice (Gliridae: Rodentia) in Lithuania. Journal of Medical Entomology , 52/3: 469-474.

Lodel, J. 2011. "Animal Diversity Web" (On-line). Graphiurus murinus. Accessed February 12, 2021 at https://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Graphiurus%20murinus.html .

Madikiza, Z., E. Do Linh San. 2020. Patterns of nest box sharing in woodland dormice (Graphurus murinus): Evidence for intra-sexual tolerance and communal nesting. Science Direct , 177: 104141. Accessed February 12, 2021 at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635720301868 .

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Webb, P., J. Skinner. 1995. The Dormice (Myoxidae) of Southern Africa. The Italian Journal of Mammalogy , 6(1-2): 287-293. Accessed February 09, 2012 at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/50889298_The_Dormice_Myoxidae_of_Southern_Africa/fulltext/024c44230cf29c215b6ad969/The-Dormice-Myoxidae-of-Southern-Africa.pdf .

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