Japanese Japanese Glis Coloring Pages

A small animal that lives only in Japan

The Japanese Japanese Glis is a small animal that lives only in Japan.
Its official name is Japanese Japanese Glis, and it lives in mountain forests on Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
It is about 6 to 9 centimeters long. That is small enough to fit right in an adult's palm!
It weighs about 10 to 20 grams. That is the same as 10 to 20 one-yen coins.
It looks a bit like a Japanese squirrel, but it is much smaller.
It is active at night and rests inside tree holes or nests during the day, so it is very hard to see one.
It is a shy little animal living in the forest.

A single stripe on its back

In the first coloring page, the Japanese Japanese Glis is perched on a branch.
The main thing to look for is the single black stripe down the middle of its back.
It runs straight from the top of its head all the way to the base of its tail.
Its big round eyes help it see even in the dark night forest.
It uses its long whiskers to feel around.
Its toes are great at gripping branches. It can even walk upside down under thin twigs!
Its fluffy, flat tail helps it keep its balance on branches.

Eating nuts in the night forest

In the second page, the Japanese Japanese Glis is eating a nut on a branch on a full-moon night.
It holds the nut tight with its front paws and nibbles with its tiny mouth.
Japanese Japanese Glis eat nuts, fruit, flower nectar, and bugs.
When autumn comes, they eat a lot to store up fat for hibernation.
They say it can weigh two to three times as much as usual!
Around it, you can see beech and oak leaves and acorns, with a big full moon rising behind it.

Curled up like a ball for hibernation

In the third page, the Japanese Japanese Glis is hibernating inside a tree hollow in a snowy forest.
The tree trunk is cut away so you can see inside!
Inside its nest of moss and dry leaves, the Japanese Japanese Glis is fast asleep, curled up like a ball.
Outside, snow is falling. You can see snowy branches, a tree stump, and cedar trees in the distance.
A little bird is perched on a branch.

The body is yellowish brown

Color the body of the Japanese Japanese Glis bright yellowish brown.
If you color the whole body light ochre and add a little darker brown to the back, it will look round and soft.
For the belly, leave it white or color it cream.
Since it is a small animal, move your colored pencil softly in small strokes to show its soft fur.
Make the tail a little darker than the body.
The inside of the ears is light pink.

The stripe on the back and big eyes

Color the stripe on the back dark brown or black.
Instead of pressing hard right away, layer the color lightly to keep the soft fur feel.
Color the big eyes black and leave a tiny spot of white light to make them look round and shiny.
The tip of the nose and toes look cute in light pink.
Keep the whiskers as thin lines, and be careful not to color over them.

The night forest and the snowy forest

Color the night sky in the second coloring page dark blue or purple, and leave the full moon bright light yellow.
For the leaves, dark green or bluish green works great to show it is night.
For the third coloring page, color the tree trunk dark brown or ochre along the lines of the bark.
Make the moss green and the dry leaves brown or orange. Leave the snow outside white, and make the shadows light sky blue.
It is also fun to put it next to winter animal coloring pages like the stoat or the rabbit.

A National Natural Monument

Japanese Japanese Glis are special animals that are named a National Natural Monument of Japan.
They are on the Red List of the Ministry of the Environment as animals that might become rare.
When forests shrink, they lose their homes. So protecting the forests helps protect Japanese Japanese Glis.
At Seisenryo in Yamanashi Prefecture, there is the Yamane Museum that teaches all about Japanese Japanese Glis and how they live.

Hibernation Can Last More Than Half a Year

Japanese Japanese Glis sleep for a very long time in winter.
In cold areas, they sometimes stay asleep from around October to around May of the next year.
They stay very still inside tree holes, under the soil, or under the snow while dropping their body temperature way down.
By saving their energy this way, they can get through the winter when there is not much food.

The Nickname "Ball Mouse"

When Japanese Japanese Glis curl up to hibernate, they look just like a round ball! That is why they are also called "Ball Mice."
However, they belong to a different family from regular mice.
A curled-up Japanese Japanese Glis is so small it can fit right in the palm of your hand.
If you ever find one, please leave it alone so you do not wake it up!