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He is cute, vulnerable and tiny - and utterly oblivious to becoming an internet star. Footage of a snoring Surrey dormouse curled up in the palm of man's hand has been viewed more than 146,000 times on YouTube.
The 31-second clip shows the rodent gently rocking as with his eyes closed and little paws tucked in he takes deep breaths, while being cradled in the hand of a nature officer, who gently strokes the top of his head with his thumb.
The dormouse was in a deep sleep when he was discovered by the Surrey Wildlife Trust during a survey of nesting boxes in woods near Leatherhead.
He did not wake up when he was taken out to be weighed - and carried on snoring while ecologists recorded this video.
However the camera failed to capture the sound of the snore, described by SWT mammal project officer Dave Williams as a loud whistle.
Dormice, which are an endangered species, spend a third of their lives hibernating. They are active only in the late spring, summer and autumn months when they feast on fruits, nectar, insects and hazel nuts in order to fatten up for their deep sleep through winter.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyaOXN6Vgrw[/media]
The 31-second clip shows the rodent gently rocking as with his eyes closed and little paws tucked in he takes deep breaths, while being cradled in the hand of a nature officer, who gently strokes the top of his head with his thumb.
The dormouse was in a deep sleep when he was discovered by the Surrey Wildlife Trust during a survey of nesting boxes in woods near Leatherhead.
He did not wake up when he was taken out to be weighed - and carried on snoring while ecologists recorded this video.
However the camera failed to capture the sound of the snore, described by SWT mammal project officer Dave Williams as a loud whistle.
Dormice, which are an endangered species, spend a third of their lives hibernating. They are active only in the late spring, summer and autumn months when they feast on fruits, nectar, insects and hazel nuts in order to fatten up for their deep sleep through winter.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyaOXN6Vgrw[/media]
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