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.
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
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- 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
- homoiothermic
- 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)
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
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- 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
- female parental care
-
pre-fertilization
-
protecting
- female
-
protecting
-
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
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
- motile
- social
- 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.
- Other Communication Modes
- scent marks
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.
- 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
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
- Chimaeropsyllid flea (Chiatopsylla nama)
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
- 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
Contributors
Caroline Fagan (author), Colorado State University, Nathan Dorff (editor), Colorado State University, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
- 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).
- 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.
- scrub forest
-
scrub forests develop in areas that experience dry seasons.
- 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.
- 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.
- polygynandrous
-
the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males, each of which also pairs with several different females.
- 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
- 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.
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- dominance hierarchies
-
ranking system or pecking order among members of a long-term social group, where dominance status affects access to resources or mates
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- 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
- 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.
- granivore
-
an animal that mainly eats seeds
- omnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats all kinds of things, including plants and animals
References
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