The fossil record of this family begins in the Eocene.
These rodents have acute visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile senses. They are known to emit shrieks, whistles, and chirping noises that may function in communication. Members of the genus Glis scent-mark their territories with glandular secretions (Nowak 1999).
Communication Channels: acoustic ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: scent marks
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Of the 29 glirid species, nine are listed as least concern, four are listed as lower risk, four are listed as vulnerable, and four: Chaetocauda sichuanensis, Glirulus japonicus, Myomimus setzeri, and Selevinia betpakdalaensis, are listed as endangered on the 2006 IUCN Red List. Not enough data is available to rank the remaining eight species. The most immediate threat to glirids is habitat destruction, though pesticide use and loss of genetic variation in isolated populations may also lead to declines (Nowak 1999).
The family Gliridae contains 28 species in 9 genera. It can be divided into 3 subfamilies: Graphiurinae (Graphiurus); Leithiinae (Chaetocauda, Dryomys, Eliomys, Muscardinus, Myomimus, and Selevinia); and Glirinae (Glirulus and Glis) (Wilson and Reeder 2005).
The family Gliridae is smaller than it was in the past. More than 30 glirid genera have become extinct since the Eocene (Daams and De Bruijn 1995).
These rodents may be detrimental to agriculture, raiding poultry yards and consuming crops such as plums, grapes, pears, and apples. They also sometimes make themselves a nuisance when they nest in houses (Nowak 1999).
Negative Impacts: crop pest; household pest
Glis are trapped for their luxuriant fur as well as for their meat, which is considered a delicacy in parts of Europe (Nowak 1999).
Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material
Glirids function as primary, secondary, and higher-level consumers in the ecosystem, because they eat both plants and animals (Nowak 1999; Vaughan et al. 2000). They are also prey for owls (Bouvier and Bayle 1989; Vvano and Turini 1996).
Glirids are omnivores, feeding on fruit and nuts and also eating invertebrates, birds and their eggs, and sometimes other rodents. Selevinia feeds mostly on insects and spiders (Vaughan et al. 2000). Glirids that hibernate may store food over the winter and occasionally awake to consume it (Nowak 1999).
Foraging Behavior: stores or caches food
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore , Eats non-insect arthropods); herbivore (Frugivore , Granivore ); omnivore
Gliridae is an Old World family. Its members are found in sub-saharan Africa, in Europe north to southern Scandinavia, and in Asia east to southern China and Japan (Nowak 1999; Vaughan et al. 2000).
Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native ); oriental (Native ); ethiopian (Native )
Glirids live in temperate, subtropical, and tropical forests as well as shrubland, savannahs, the banks of rivers and streams, rocky outcrops, gardens, and agricultural areas (Klingener 1984; Nowak 1999; Vaughan et al. 2000). Species in the genus Selvinia inhabit desert scrub (Nowak 1999).
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural ; riparian
Wild edible dormice (Glis glis) have been reported to live up to 12 years. Such a long lifespan may be attributed to the fact that entire populations skip breeding in poor mast years, allowing them to put more energy into survival (Ruf et al. 2006). Lifespans of four years have been reported for other wild dormice (Dryomys nitedula and Muscardinus avellanarius). Eliomys quercinus and Graphiurus murinus each live 5 to 6 years in captivity (Carey and Judge 2002).
Glirids are small to medium sized rodents, up to about 190 mm in head-body length. They resemble squirrels or chipmunks, with compact bodies and bushy tails (except members of the genera Selevinia and Myomimus, which have sparsely-furred tails). The limbs are relatively short; the feet are broad; and the toes are tipped with short, curved claws. Glirids have four functional digits on their forefeet and five on their hindfeet. Their bodies are covered with thick, soft fur. Some species have distinctive black facial markings. Most are good climbers, and arboreal species have well-developed toe pads.
Members of this family are myomorphous, but they differ somewhat from the typical myomorph arrangement of the masseter. Their skulls have an enlarged infraorbital foramen through which passes a slip of the medial masseter, as in other myomorphs, but the zygomatic plate is not as strongly developed as in most other members of the group. Nerves and blood vessels pass through this foramen as well as muscle; glirids lack the separate infraorbital foramen for the passage of nerves and blood vessels that is found in dipodids. The jugal of glirids is horizontal and does not meet the lacrimal. The mandibles are unusual in that the angular process is bent outwards, and in some genera it is perforated. Glirids are sciurognathus.
The dental formula of glirids is 1/1, 0/0, 0-1/0-1, 3/3 = 16 or 20. The incisors are sharply pointed. Cheekteeth are brachydont, and their occlusal surfaces are made up of a series of cusps and basins or parallel enamel ridges. Selevinia (which is sometimes placed in its own family) has very small teeth that scarcely erupt from the gums. These have a very simple occlusal pattern.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; heterothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Owls are the most frequent predators of glirids (Bouvier and Bayle 1989; Vvano and Turini 1996). When alarmed, glirids deliver a painful bite with their sharp incisors, they may also hiss, spit, and leap high into the air (Nowak 1999). Glirids have the ability to regenerate their tails if lost to predators (Vaughan et al. 2000).
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Some glirid species (Graphiurus and Glis) are territorial and solitary except during the breeding season. Glis males have been observed fighting at this time, suggesting that they are polygynous. Nowak (1999) noted that while Glis males have been known to remain with females to help care for their young in captivity, in the wild males most likely leave to pursue other females. The mating system for most glirid genera has not been reported.
Mating System: polygynous
Glirids breed in the spring and summer, though wild populations of edible dormice (Glis glis) may skip reproduction altogether in years of low food abundance (Ruf et al. 2006). Females bear one to two litters per year, with 2 to 10 young per litter. The gestation period ranges from 21 to 30 days. Young open their eyes after about three weeks, and are weaned and independent after four to six weeks (Nowak 1999).
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous
Before giving birth, females construct soft, moss-lined nests in which to raise their offspring. Glirids are eutherian mammals; therefore, females provide their young with nutrients through the placenta and then through their milk. In captivity, male Glis have been known to help protect and clean their young, but this behavior has not been observed in the wild (Nowak 1999).
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
