| Chinese dormouse | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Gliridae |
| Subfamily: | Leithiinae |
| Genus: | Chaetocauda Wang, 1985 |
| Species: | C. sichuanensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaetocauda sichuanensis Wang, 1985 | |
TheChinese dormouse orSichuan dormouse (Chaetocauda sichuanensis) is a species ofdormouse found in subalpine mixed forests in northernSichuan,China, where it is known fromJiuzhaigou and Wanglang Nature Reserves. It is known only from two captured female specimens taken in theWanglang Natural Reserve, and was first described by Wang Youzhi in 1985 and relisted by Corbet and Hill (1991, 1992) under a newgenus asChaetocauda sichuanensis. It is currently the only member of the genusChaetocauda. The two specimens had head and body lengths of 90mm and 91mm and tail lengths of 92mm and 102mm, respectively. They weighed 24.5 and 36.0 g. It is nocturnal and arboreal, nesting in trees around 3 metres above the ground, and was found above an altitude of 2500m above sea level. It is classified as endangered by theIUCN as of the 2004 Red List due to its small, isolated habitat.[1]
