Deano's Exotics
  • Home
  • Carpentry And Joinery Services
  • Custom Chicken Coops.
  • Custom Vivariums Built by me.
    • Other stuff I've made But not animal related.
    • Halloween ghosts and ghouls.
  • African Pygmy Hedgehogs
    • Available offspring.
    • Photos
  • African Pygmy Dormice
    • Photos
  • Dumerili's Boa Constrictors (Acrantophis dumerili)
    • Available offspring. >
      • Photos
  • True Madagascan ground boa (Acrantophis madagascariensis)
    • Photos
  • Common Boa Constrictors (Boa constrictor imperator)
    • Available offspring. >
      • Photos
  • Carpet Pythons (Morelia)
    • Available offspring. >
      • Photos
  • Royal Pythons (Python regius)
    • Available offspring. >
      • Photos
  • Blood Pythons.
    • Borneo Short tail (Python curtus breitensteini)
    • Red Blood python (Python curtus brongermai)
    • Black Blood (Python curtus curtus)
  • Corn Snakes (Pantherophis guttatus guttatus)
  • Arboreal Geckos. Crested and Gargoyle Geckos.
    • Photos
  • The white-lined gecko (Gekko vittatus)
  • Leopard Gecko's (Eublepharis macularius)
    • Available offspring. >
      • Photos
  • Equipment I use and Why.
    • Substrates.
    • Handling and Feeding Equipment
  • The Incubation Room.
    • Incubation Methods.
    • What's in the Cookers? 2013.
  • Aggghhh i got mites...
  • Controlled Emotional Response
  • Captive bred vs Wild Caught
  • Gallery
  • The Federation of British Herpetologists FBH
  • UK Shows
  • Links
  • Contact Me
  • Reptile Blog

About African Pygmy Dormice.

Picture
African Pygmy Dormice ( Graphiurus Murinus)

African Pygmy Dormice ( Graphiurus Murinus) are also known as Microsquirrels , Woodland Dormouse, African Dwarf Dormice, and sometimes Egyptian dormouse. African Pygmy Dormice belong to the suborder Myomorpha and are closely related to rats and mice. But unlike their cousins “Rats and Mice” African Pygmy dormice have fur on the insides of their ears and Bushy tails. It is thought the extra fur is to help them keep warm during any Hibernation period in the wild.

They are the most endearing little creatures, only measuring around 150mm total length including their bushy tails. They are most active at dusk and dawn scurrying around chirping, chattering and squeaking at one another. They have Dark beady eyes to help them see in the reduced light at the time when they are most active.

African Pygmy Dormice need to live in social groups and at the very least a Pair. They do not do well at all, when kept alone. Although when keeping them in groups, there are occasional territorial disputes, I reduce this “bulling” by adding extra hides/nests so that all can choose a place of rest. If they are kept in pairs they generally tend to be a lot shyer, so you will rarely see them out of their hides/nests.  

They are not a very good pet if you would like to handle them as they are very small and extremely agile, so they have a tendency to just bugger off as and when they feel like it, thus leaving you chasing them all over the place for hours on end, trying to have more grace than a Hippo at Swann Lake. Are they fast? YES they are like little bullets but extremely graceful at the same time.

 I have noticed that the little darlings have a life span of around 4 years, this is quite a considerable life span for such a small creature. Although this is lengthened considerably by being kept in captivity.