SELEVIN'S MOUSE

also called Dzhalman, or Desert Dormouse (Selevinia betpakdalaensis), desert-dwelling Russian rodent, the only member of the family Seleviniidae (order Rodentia). Selevin's mouse was discovered in 1939. It may be a relative of the dormice (Gliridae). A stout animal with long, thick, gray fur, it is about eight centimetres (three inches) long without the long tail. It is primarily nocturnal and apparently is unable to withstand more than a few minutes' exposure to the sun without becoming ill. It eats mainly spiders and insects, climbs well, and progresses in a series of short leaps. In winter it hibernates.