Spectacled dormouse

Species of rodent

Spectacled dormouse

Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Mammalia
Order:  | Rodentia
Family:  | Gliridae
Genus:  | Graphiurus
Species:  |

G. ocularis

Binomial name
Graphiurus ocularis

(A. Smith, 1829)

The spectacled dormouse or namtap (Graphiurus ocularis) is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae, and one of four dormouse species endemic to South Africa.

## Description

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It has a bushy, squirrel-like tail, a fairly short muzzle, small ears and soft fur. Its face is marked with white and grey, with dark rings (spectacles) around its eyes. Its cheeks, underparts and the upper surfaces of its paws are white. Its tail is also usually tipped with white.

## Distribution and habitat

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Its distribution is restricted to the Cederberg in western South Africa, and it is associated with rocky habitats, as well as trees and outbuildings. It is nocturnal and an agile climber.

### Diet

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Its diet consists primarily of seeds, other plant material and invertebrates. They have been remarked to eat certain types of scorpions as well and will kill other mice or smaller rat species in their territory.

## References

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* Stuart C. & Stuart T. 2001. Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa. p. 92\. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
* Coetzee, N., Griffin, M. & Grubb, P. 2004. Graphiurus ocularis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  Downloaded on 29 July 2007.
* Holden, M. E.. 2005. Family Gliridae. pp. 819–841 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

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Extant species of family Gliridae (Dormice)

* Kingdom Animalia
* Phylum Chordata
* Class Mammalia
* Order Rodentia
* Suborder Sciuromorpha

Graphiurinae|

| Graphiurus
(African dormice)|

* Angolan African dormouse (Graphiurus angolensis)
* Christy's dormouse (Graphiurus christyi)
* Jentink's dormouse (Graphiurus crassicaudatus)
* Johnston's African dormouse (Graphiurus johnstoni)
* Kellen's dormouse (Graphiurus kelleni)
* Lorrain dormouse (Graphiurus lorraineus)
* Small-eared dormouse (Graphiurus microtis)
* Monard's dormouse (Graphiurus monardi)
* Woodland dormouse (Graphiurus murinus)
* Nagtglas's African dormouse (Graphiurus nagtglasii)
* Spectacled dormouse/Namtap (Graphiurus ocularis)
* Rock dormouse (Graphiurus platyops)
* Stone dormouse (Graphiurus rupicola)
* Silent dormouse (Graphiurus surdus)
* Walter Verheyen's African dormouse (Graphiurus walterverheyeni)

|

Leithiinae|

| Chaetocauda|

* Chinese dormouse (Chaetocauda sichuanensis)

|

Dryomys
(Forest dormice)|

* Woolly dormouse (Dryomys laniger)
* Balochistan forest dormouse (Dryomys niethammeri)
* Forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula)

Eliomys|

* Asian garden dormouse (Eliomys melanurus)
* Maghreb garden dormouse (Eliomys munbyanus)
* Garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus)

Muscardinus|

* Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)

Myomimus|

* Masked mouse-tailed dormouse (Myomimus personatus)
* Roach's mouse-tailed dormouse (Myomimus roachi)
* Setzer's mouse-tailed dormouse (Myomimus setzeri)

Selevinia|

* Desert dormouse (Selevinia betpakdalaensis)

Glirinae|

| Glirulus|

* Japanese dormouse (Glirulus japonicus)

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Glis|

* Edible dormouse (Glis glis)
* Iranian edible dormouse (Glis persicus)

Category

Taxon identifiers

Graphiurus ocularis|

* Wikidata: Q1769932
* Wikispecies: Graphiurus ocularis
* ADW: Graphiurus_ocularis
* EoL: 327926
* GBIF: 5219907
* iNaturalist: 45851
* IRMNG: 10227328
* ITIS: 584960
* IUCN: 9488
* MDD: 1001517
* MSW: 12500017
* NCBI: 221698
* Observation.org: 83665
* Open Tree of Life: 1038438
* Paleobiology Database: 131752
* Xeno-canto: Graphiurus-ocularis

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