Sleeps 9 months a year, and can be called the "sleeping god" of the animal kingdom
Dormice are a small but unique group of inhabitants of nature.
They can be broadly divided into four categories: garden dormice, hazel dormice, African dormice, and fat dormice.
These critters tend to be no larger than the size of an adult's palm and weigh about the same size as an egg.
Despite their small size, these small creatures are surprisingly vigorous.
Like the monkeys in the forest, the dormouse can jump quickly from tree to tree.
Their tails are about the same length as their bodies, which not only helps to keep their bodies balanced, but also acts like a fishhook, allowing them to be easily carried to the opposite branch.
During the day, dormice mostly hide in tree hollows or bushes to rest, and only at dusk do they wake up to feed.
This introverted and shy creature rarely approaches humans, instead feeding on fruits, seeds, young leaves, and tree bark.
Sometimes, they also take the risk of catching small insects or eggs in nests.
Dormice are relatively reproductive, usually giving birth to only 1 to 2 litters of young in a year, ranging from 3 to 7 per litter.
Because of its relatively small number and the eye-catching color of its fur, dormice are one of the most beloved animals.
In particular, they are amazing in terms of sleep time.
For example, the British dormouse spends up to nine months of hibernation every year, a record unmatched by any mammal.
Before going into hibernation, these little ones will eat like crazy, trying to store enough fat and energy.
Once in hibernation, they choose a place that is both comfortable and warm, and enter a deep sleep that is close to a state of suspended animation.
It is not until April of the following year that the dormice gradually wake up from their sleep and welcome the new year.
During this process, the dormouse's metabolic rate and heartbeat drop to extremely low levels, as if everything is still.
It is only when they are hypothermic that dormice wake up for a while and fall back asleep.
A human sleep, even for one night, is enough to make people drowsy, let alone a dormouse that sleeps for months or even nearly 300 days.
In late autumn and early winter, dormice intensify their storage of food, such as fruits, seeds and nuts.
Sometimes a dormouse can carry food several times its own body weight.
Some of this food is converted into body fat, while the other part is stored in tree hollows or underground food caches.
During hibernation, if they feel a decrease in their stamina, dormice travel to these places to replenish their energy.
Through this ingenious strategy, they were able to survive the entire cold season.
However, this long sleep also poses a survival challenge for dormice.
If enough food is not stocked up in the fall, or if the temperature is unusually low in the winter, many dormice will die in their sleep, which is one of the reasons why the number of dormice in the wild is always relatively scarce.
Of course, there are also some sleepy dormice that miss the best time to forage because they are addicted to sleep, and finally starve to death.
Their stable and long-lasting sleep regimen is truly impressive.
It is likely that it is thanks to the low metabolic rate during hibernation that these dormice are able to conserve more energy and rejuvenate in the spring.
When spring comes, the earth warms up, everything recovers, and this group of "sleeping beauties" also wakes up from their dreams and starts a new life.
