A friend living in France is being inundated with 'edible doormice' It's the time of year for them to come out of hibernation (in her loft space) They look cute bus can be a real pest as they have the habit of chewing electric cables...
Scientific name: Glis glis
Common name: Fat dormouse or Squirrel-tailed dormouse
They are called edible dormice because the Romans snacked on them, keeping them in special jars and fattening them up with chestnuts and acorns for the table.
During hibernation their body heat drops by 98% and they breathe between 1 and 3 times per minute.
WARNING - DON"T PICK THEM UP BY THEIR TAIL !
They are capable of limited autotomy; if another animal grasps the tail, the skin breaks easily and slides off the underlying bone, allowing the dormouse to escape. The exposed vertebrae then break off and the wound heals over, forming a fresh brush of hair.
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