Armenian Birch Mouse

Armenian birch mouse is one of the least known species of mammals of Eurasia. It was described as a separate species based on three specimen trapped in 1986. From that time no other Sicista was found in Armenia.

The Armenian birch mouse (Sicista armenica) is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae.

It is a small rodent, like the mouse, the average weight of 10 g and up to 9 cm long, excluding the semi-prehensile tail, which slightly exceeds the length of the body. The body is brown, darker in the upper region.

The species shows nocturnal and feeds on seeds, berries and insects. Shifts in the ground with small jumps and can easily climb on the bushes and trees due to its semi-prehensile tail. The nest, oval-shaped, is made of plant remains in a shallow hole dug by the animal itself.

The species is endemic to Armenia, found in mixed forests of coniferous and broadleaf trees in the area upstream of the river Marmarik.

The Zoological Society of London, based on evolutionary uniqueness and smallness of the population, considers Armenian Birch Mouse one of the 100 species of mammals at greatest risk of extinction.