edible dormouse; fat dormouse
A species of dormouse (Glis glis) known for its large size and hibernation habits. The Japanese name literally means 'large dormouse'.
The edible dormouse is a large dormouse that lives in Europe.
ヤマネ refers to dormice in general or the Japanese dormouse; オオヤマネ specifically denotes the larger edible dormouse species.
Katakana spelling is standard for this animal name; usually written in kana.
Rare kanji spelling; lists it but it is not commonly used.
Compound of 大 (おお, 'large') + ヤマネ (やまね, 'dormouse'). The kanji 冬眠鼠 literally means 'hibernation mouse', reflecting the animal's long hibernation period.