# African Pygmy Dormice



## MrT (Aug 16, 2008)

Hi,
does anyone keep these? if so, has anyone got pictures of their set ups?
I'mparticularly interested what substrate ppl use and also can they be kept in a very large exo terra??
n/b. i currently have 2 baby micro squirrels in a 4 ft viv with lots of arboreal features.. branches etc. and nest boxes, on wood shavings.
thanks


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## Pouchie (Feb 9, 2008)

MrT said:


> Hi,
> does anyone keep these? if so, has anyone got pictures of their set ups?
> I'mparticularly interested what substrate ppl use and also can they be kept in a very large exo terra??
> n/b. i currently have 2 baby micro squirrels in a 4 ft viv with lots of arboreal features.. branches etc. and nest boxes, on wood shavings.
> thanks


 
Im confuzzed :lol2:

A micro squirrel IS an african pygmy dormouse.

That setup sounds ideal : victory:


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## MrT (Aug 16, 2008)

lol, sorry yeah i know this about micro squirrels n apd.. i just used both names in one post! my bad. for confusing!.. sorry.

do you know if exo's can be used??


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## Pouchie (Feb 9, 2008)

Yes, I think I'm right in saying that Philldan who breeds them uses exoterra vivs. Hopefully he will be along in a bit: victory:

I use an acrylic tank with a wooden nest box inside that has different chambers and 2 exits.

They love to climb and chew on wood!


Oh & I use wood shavings.


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## JPReptiles (Dec 2, 2007)

I think they are little stunners!

Have seen a couple of pics of them but never in the flesh.

John


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## MrT (Aug 16, 2008)

i was just wondering as a substrate , if i could use: peat &bark.. perhaps moss substrate.. as a biodegradable option ... or sand? to imitate their natural surroundings also.


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## SarahSarahSarah. (Dec 6, 2010)

*for sale*

Does anyone have any apd's for sale??


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## Elina (Jul 22, 2009)

Mine live in normal vivs but exo terra are great as they tend to be higher then they are wide.
I use various things as substrate such as pine litter, wood shavings (I can't remember the name of the other stuff but it's from Pets at home and has dried leaves and stuff).

These should help:
http://www.broadwaterspetland.com/files/APD_Care_sheet_-_with_photos.pdf

http://www.broadwaterspetland.com/files/APD_Article.pdf

-
Elina


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## TIMOTHY AND MATILDA (Oct 31, 2008)

I have 5 babies ready now,they are 6 weeks old,this is one pairs set up and I have another in an 30 x30x45 exo terra


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## TIMOTHY AND MATILDA (Oct 31, 2008)




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## Elina (Jul 22, 2009)

This is one of my vivs. It was two but I cut a HUGE hole in the roof of one and floor of the other and stuck them together.











I change how they are furnished ever other week, mostly as I can't get them to look the same :lol2:.

This is a photo of the bottom one on a different week:










And here's a African pygmy dormouse just for good measure:










-
 Elina


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## protheroe (Nov 14, 2010)

Fab set ups! I was just wondering if you could answer a question as you breed apd sorry if this is a dumb but do you keep the male and female together or seperate them once the female is pregnant? 
I keep trying to look things up but can never seem to find the answers im looking for! 
Ive read about people keeping colonies and was also wondering how they go about this as in are the babies removed when old enough so there is no inbreeding? 
Thanks


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## Elina (Jul 22, 2009)

I have two colonies and I remove the females when the babies are first born. As you can see I have lots of little houses in my vivs so I remove the whole house and place it in a viv I have set aside for this. I have never had any problems with doing this, they seem quite happy to be moved to a place away from the other APD.

Once the babies are ready to leave their mother I move the mother back to the viv she came from and keep the babies in the viv they grew up in until they can be sexed. Once they can be sexed they are paired up with an unrelated mate (so one from the colony they did not come from) or if the litter was all girls I will keep them all together. Males tend to have issues if they do not have a female with them so if the litter is all males I will split them up.

With my pairs I normally do the same.

-
Elina


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## protheroe (Nov 14, 2010)

Thats great thanks i have a male and female that i got a while back and the female was already pregnant and the male was seperate and have been reading as much info as possible. I lost one of the babies but the other survived and is doing really well and i just want to learn as much as possible and do the right thing for them all


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