How big does a Forest dormouse get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) reaches an average size of 10.5 cm (0′ 5″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 4 years, they grow from 1 grams (0 lbs) to 29 grams (0.06 lbs). Talking about reproduction, Forest dormouses have 3 babies about 1 times per year. The Forest dormouse (genus: Dryomys) is a member of the family Myoxidae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae found in eastern Europe, the Balkans and parts of western Central Asia. It is categorized as being of least concern in the IUCN List of Threatened Species due to its wide range and stable population trend. Forest dormice have a diploid count (2n) of 48 chromosomes. Even though this species lives in a variety of geographic locations, its greatest population density is in the forests of central Moldova, in Transcaucasia, and in the mountains of Central Asia. In most other locations, population density of this species is rather low. Population density is dependent on many factors. But the main features that this species depends on for choosing a location are the presence of the appropriate food sources as well as good foliage that can be used for a habitat. The reason why the forests in central Moldova have the highest population density is they provide the largest diversity of food sources which are available throughout the year. This location also provides the best type of foliage for the forest dormice to build their nests as well as swing from branches. The combination of both of these aspects allows for this species to have its highest needs met. Therefore, during mating season they produce offspring who also stay in the same general area when they mature. It makes sense not to move from an area if it is providing for your most basic needs.The common name for Eliomys is the garden dormouse. Dryomys are often compared to Eliomys as they have many similarities. However, Dryomys is smaller in size. Two more differences between the two are the braincase for Dryomys is more rounded and the auditory bullae is smaller than that of Eliomys. In addition, their tails are slightly different. The Dryomys’s tail is more uniform in color than that of Eliomys. The forest dormouse competes in artificial and natural nests with hazel dormice, fat dormice, and birds. Its biggest competitors are those species which eat similar types of food and who live in the same kind of habitat.
Animals of the same family as a Forest dormouse
We found other animals of the Myoxidae family:
- Kellen’s dormouse with 2 babies per litter
- Rock dormouse with 5 babies per litter
- Spectacled dormouse with 5 babies per litter
- Lorrain dormouse with 5 babies per litter
- Kellen’s dormouse with 4 babies per litter
- Edible dormouse with a size of 16.7 cm (0′ 7″)
- Woolly dormouse with a size of 10.5 cm (0′ 5″)
- Kellen’s dormouse with 5 babies per litter
- Woodland dormouse with a size of 7.5 cm (0′ 3″)
- Christy’s dormouse with 5 babies per litter
Animals with the same size as a Forest dormouse
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Forest dormouse:
- Colorado chipmunk with a size of 12.2 cm (0′ 5″)
- Narrow-headed slender opossum with a size of 10.5 cm (0′ 5″)
- Long-nosed dasyure with a size of 12.2 cm (0′ 5″)
- North African gerbil with a size of 9 cm (0′ 4″)
- African giant shrew with a size of 10.8 cm (0′ 5″)
- Mountain mosaic-tailed rat with a size of 11.6 cm (0′ 5″)
- Cameroon soft-furred mouse with a size of 11.5 cm (0′ 5″)
- Lesser Egyptian jerboa with a size of 10.2 cm (0′ 5″)
- Champion’s tree mouse with a size of 12.1 cm (0′ 5″)
- Olive grass mouse with a size of 9.6 cm (0′ 4″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Forest dormouse
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (3) as a Forest dormouse:
- Western red-backed vole
- Large vlei rat
- North American beaver
- San Diego pocket mouse
- Desert hedgehog
- Indian long-eared hedgehog
- Tullberg’s soft-furred mouse
- Long-eared hedgehog
- Southern bog lemming
- Royle’s pika
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Forest dormouse
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Forest dormouse:
- Sminthopsis laniger with an average maximal age of 3.25 years
- Greater cane rat with an average maximal age of 4.25 years
- Smith’s vole with an average maximal age of 3.5 years
- Banded hare-wallaby with an average maximal age of 4 years
- Gray tree rat with an average maximal age of 3.75 years
- Sand-colored soft-furred rat with an average maximal age of 4 years
- Black rat with an average maximal age of 4.17 years
- Guyenne spiny rat with an average maximal age of 4.75 years
- Aders’s duiker with an average maximal age of 4 years
- Fat-tailed dunnart with an average maximal age of 4.25 years
Animals with the same weight as a Forest dormouse
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Dryomys nitedula:
- Fire-bellied brush-furred rat bringing 32 grams to the scale
- Long-tailed house bat bringing 30 grams to the scale
- Lesser Egyptian gerbil bringing 27 grams to the scale
- North African gerbil bringing 27 grams to the scale
- Olive grass mouse bringing 24 grams to the scale
- Buffoon striped grass mouse bringing 26 grams to the scale
- Naked-rumped tomb bat bringing 31 grams to the scale
- Western jumping mouse bringing 27 grams to the scale
- Sminthopsis laniger bringing 26 grams to the scale
- Handley’s slender opossum bringing 30 grams to the scale