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Wednesday 29 October 2014

Dormouse

The Romans were so fond of eating dormice that the upper classes raised them domestically. The rodents were kept in specially designed cages and are fed a mixture of nuts.

Only one species of dormouse normally lives in the British Isles, so in British English "dormouse" usually means the Hazel Dormouse.

The dormouse can hibernate six months out of the year, or even longer if the weather does not become warm enough, sometimes waking for brief periods to eat food they had previously stored nearby.

Their name is based on this trait; it comes from Anglo-Norman dormeus, which means "sleepy (one)";

During the summer, the dormice accumulates fat in their bodies, to nourish them through the hibernation period.

Sources Wikipedia, Food For Thought by Ed Pearce

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