Ground dormouse, Mouse-tailed dormouse
The Roach's mouse-tailed dormouse or ground dormouse, also known simply as the mouse-tailed dormouse, (Myomimus roachi ) is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Bulgaria, Turkey, and possibly the far east of Greece.
Historically found in Turkey and south-eastern Bulgaria. As oak and walnut trees were removed for agriculture and forestry, its distribution became restricted to a few small spinneys in Edirne, in north-west Turkey. In 2017 the species was confirmed to be still living in Bulgaria.
Roach's mouse-tailed dormouse lives in scrub and semi-open habitats with trees or bushes such as orchards, vineyards, hedgerows in arable land, and river banks. Old trees are essential elements in their habitat because the dormouse uses hollows of old trees to sleep during the day or rest at night.
The mouse-tailed dormouse is nocturnal, which means that they are active at night. Dormice are active from 1–2 hours before sunset till 1–2 hours after sunrise. In addition, the mouse-tailed dormouse is not strictly arboreal as it uses both trees and ground for moving and feeding. It also uses open areas such as grasslands, cereal fields, and even recently plowed agricultural land for moving and searching for food (such as insects and seeds), which makes it easier food for predators. The same animal uses few different trees with hollows for resting, and one tree can be used for one or more consecutive days. The same tree hollows are used by different individuals at different time.
