TROPIQUARIA zookeepers are enraptured by a recent surprise addition to the menagerie - a cute and tiny dwarf African dormouse.

The parents were acquired a few weeks ago and it was hoped that they would breed - eventually.

So it was a big surprise when they produced a baby two weeks ago.

Like most baby rodents, it was pink and blind and so was left alone with its parents. Quite interestingly, dad moved to the other end of the cage and left mum and baby alone.

Now, just like a miniature adult, he clings to the finger of the keepers when they handle him. He made his photo debut at the weekend, aged two weeks.

African Dwarf dormice are not particularly endangered at present. They occur in a wide strip down the Eastern side of Africa and, when they were studied in 2008, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which decides whether animals are endangered or not, listed them as being of 'least concern'.

Tropiquaria director Chris Moiser said the dormice appear to be able to adapt to changes in the wild well and, like many rodents, also seem to do well in captivity.

"We are very pleased to have them as an example of a nocturnal African rodent, and one that is very cute into the bargain," he added.

Tropiquaria is currently open on weekends and Mondays from 11am until 4pm and can be contacted on 01984 640688.