Watch video: The rare mammal species spotted at the foot of Mount Taygetos

A uncommon mammal taxon discovered astatine the ft of Mount Taygetos was featured successful a video by the online transmission Wild Nature of Greece.

It is the wood dormouse (Dryomys nitedula), resembling a tiny squirrel. The archetypal portion of its technological sanction (Dryomys) comes from the Greek words for “oak” (drys) and “mouse” (mys), describing a benignant of “mouse” recovered successful oak trees, portion the 2nd portion (nitedula) is simply a Latin word referring to this animal. The communal Greek sanction (Δενδρομυωξός) is besides a compound of “tree + rodent + beech,” again describing a “mouse” surviving successful oak forests.

“We Found a Very Rare Mammal Almost Nobody Knows About!”

According to the Management Body of Mount Parnona and Moustos Wetland, the taxon is distributed crossed Eastern Europe and mainland Greece. Its assemblage magnitude reaches up to 13 cm, its process up to 9.5 cm, and it weighs up to 60 grams. Its assemblage is elongated and cylindrical, with the caput connected seamlessly to the torso.

It inhabits a assortment of habitats, specified arsenic deciduous, coniferous, oregon mixed forests. Nocturnal by nature, it builds nests successful histrion cavities, among branches, oregon successful stone crevices, weaving them with hairs, feathers, moss, and plants. It is chiefly herbivorous, feeding connected fruits, nuts, lichens, and roots, but it besides eats insects and larvae. During the winter, it hibernates depending connected the severity and duration of the play successful each region.

The extortion of the wood dormouse astatine some the assemblage and European level is considered adequate, arsenic it is included successful assorted conventions and laws, portion it is besides protected nationally. Direct threats to the taxon are not considered significant, apt owed to its nocturnal lifestyle.