11/5/2004: Dormant dormice

Sleeping dormice, described as "torpid". This is apparently the winning photograph of the BBC TV Countryfile photographic competition. The official caption says The image was taken by Steven Robinson at Wakehurst Place in southern England as part of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew's monitoring program of this endangered species in conjunction with English Nature.

IotD previously featured a dormouse here with more information on them from blase.

wow those are some ugly little critters

No wonder they are endangered. They fall off into a dead sleep like that, they're much easier to step on.

Where's the Mad Hatter in that picture, though. I don't see him. Or Alice.

The Chesire Cat's right there, of course ...

I wish my mice and rats would do that. Then I could pick them up and carry them about in my pocket with no worries of them using that as a chance to burrow under my shirt. Them things is adorable!

I like critters all right, but there's something a little creepy about those critters. They're just takin' a nice nap I guess.

I love how they curl their little toes up, like they're dreaming...

I wonder where "Dead as a Dormouse" comes from? The apparent lack of vital signs while they hibernate?
But they're not dead, they're mostly dead. Could they fool the cat? Would they be dead-i-cat-ed?
I'm sorry...I'll go now....

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce I wonder where "Dead as a Dormouse" comes from? The apparent lack of vital signs while they hibernate? But they're not dead, they're mostly dead. Could they fool the cat? Would they be dead-i-cat-ed? I'm sorry...I'll go now....

My cat is salivating over that pic ... I'm having problems keeping her paws off the screen ..

It's sort of like showing a pic of 3 hot fresh Jumbo cheeseburgers to a Macca's addict ...

Wolf is right. No wonder they are endangered, sleeping dead-to-the-world, like that. They look like easy prey to any hunting animal, to me ..

They would probably do better if they were evolutionarily adapted to sleeping, say, within an electrified domed enclosure of some kind ...

Hmmm.

No opposable thumbs. Minimal access to technology.

Yeah, I guess they're doomed to extinction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnhowdy I'm totally confused now. I always heard "dead as a doornail". What the hell? If these critters were big enough I'd hug 'em! Dormouse,doornail........I reckon they tell everyone in the South everything last. xoB: the cat don't give a "rat's ass".

Never heard of dust bunnies! Must not have made it into central Pa.

Never heard of dust bunnies! Must not have made it into central Pa.

I once was directed to a website that quizzed you on what words you used in some 80 different colloquialisms (e.g., what do you call the little black bug that curls up into a ball when you touch it?) and showed you a national graph of where each was prevalent. Not that I have any idea where that site is now.

I'm from Missouri where the 'Dust Bunnies' are as 'Dead as a Doornail' .

Google;
dust kitties = 7,980
dust bunnies = 50,100
Anyone got another name for the dust balls under the bed?
Oh, dust balls = 279,000
Anymore?

dust elephants

I've always heard and referred as dust bunnies. Dust kitties is an entirely new animal to me.........

My favorite: Ghost Turds

Cute little things they are. Surprise surprise, I love the name dust elephants.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyber Wolf Filth

Dust Bison

Clodfobble, Was this the site you were thinking about? Some interesting replies there.

Yes! The questionnaire is closed now obviously, but my data (not DAYta) is included in there.