People’s Trust for Endangered Species, 3 Cloisters House, 8 Battersea Park Road, London SW84BG Registered charity no Ecology of the hazel dormouse

Ecology of the Hazel dormouse Britains small Mammals Family Muridae and Family Gliridae European Species What’s in a name Fat dormouse The dormouse year Torpor and hibernation Dormouse diet Nests and breeding Age classes Home range and population density Predation Dormouse activity Distribution Dormouse habitats

Cheeky Chappie Makes An Appearance In A Fenland Garden Helping Himself To Food! November 2009 Wood mouse Yellow neck mouse Harvest mouse House mouse Field vole Bank vole Pygmy shrew Common shrew Water shrew Hazel dormouse

Family Muridae Over 700 species including mice, rats and gerbils Scaled tails Hop, climb or run Either herbivores or omnivores Breed frequently Large litters Short-lived Furred tails Generally arboreal Nocturnal Omnivores; lack a caecum Breed once or twice a year Average litter of 4 Long lived Hibernate Family Gliridae 28 species of dormice Order: Rodentia Class: Mammalia

European Species Hazel dormouse – Muscardinus avellanarius –European status: Least concern, Pop. trend: unknown Fat dormouse – Glis glis –European status: Least concern, Pop. trend: unknown Garden dormouse – Eliomys quercinus – European status: Near threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing Forest dormouse - Dryomys nitedula –European status: Least concern, Pop. trend: stable Mouse tailed dormouse - Myomimus roachi –European status: Endangered, Pop. trend: decreasing (2011)

What’s in a name? Common or Hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius Mus – small brown animal Scardinus – young edible dormouse avellanarius – from hazel Dormir – from french ‘to sleep’ Fat or Edible dormouse Glis glis Glisere – latin ‘to grow’

Fat dormouse Non native Released 1902 Size of small squirrel Life cycle linked to beech ‘Seven sleeper’

Hazel dormouse Native species Adult size: 50mm body, wt g Furry tail Sandy coat develops Large black eyes Pads on feet Double-jointed hind ankles

May Apr Mar Feb Jan Dec Nov Oct Sept Aug July June Hibernating Hibernating? Occasional arousals Frequent arousals Fully active Short periods of activity BreedingYoung born Young foraging Second brood? Fattening up for winter The hazel dormouse year

Hibernating Hibernating? Occasional arousals Frequent arousals Fully active Short periods of activity Breeding Young bornYoung foraging Second brood? Fattening up for winter The hazel dormouse year

2010 Dormouse weight distribution by month, adjusted by number of NDMP sites, where dormice were recorded.

Torpor and hibernation Latin – hiberna for winter Hibernation – longer than 24hrs Torpor – less than 24hrs Hibernate due to lack of food in winter Torpor due to inclement weather

Hibernation Minimum weight 15-18g November – April Hibernate in nests on ground; moist, even temperature Coppice stools, log piles, leaf litter May wake/move

Torpor Occurs in active period In nest boxes – with and without nests Once disturbed will wake 20mins to full activity

Hazel dormouse diet Sequential feeders Lack caecum Nectar, pollen, seeds, fruit, nuts, invertebrates Food diversity needs to be within home range

Dormouse food requirements

Nests and breeding Range of distinctive nests Breeding nest woven covered with green leaves Honeysuckle strips and other local material Usually more than one nest

Dormouse breeding Males solitary First litters late May 4-6 young with distinctive stages Occasional crèches May have second litter Population ‘boom’ in Sept/Oct

The ages of Hazel dormice StageApprox. age Approx. weight Coat colour Pinks0 – 6 days1 – 2.5gPink Grey eyes closed 6 – 16 days2.5 – 6gGrey Eyes open16 – 28 days6 – 10gGrey or brown Juvenile (before first hibernation) 28+ days plus10g plusGrey/sandy Adult (after first hibernation) 8-12 months plus12g plusSandy

Dormouse home range Adult male home range about 0.75 ha Adult female range smaller Distance travelled a from nest –Male 70m (Bright and Morris 1994) –Female 50m (Bright and Morris 1991) –Dispersing juvenile 376m (Wilder Wych 2011)

Dormouse population density SpeciesHabitatMean Spring density Dormouse Optimal – diverse wood with abundant, vigorous understory 4 to 6 adults DormouseOak woodland with hazel2 adults DormouseScrubunknown DormouseConifer woodland1 to 3 adults DormouseHedgerow1.3 adults Wood mouseDeciduous woodland40 plus Bank voleDeciduous woodland100 plus

Dormouse predators Badger Wild boar Cats Owls Grey squirrel Stoats, weasels Between 40 – 70% of dormice die in hibernation (Juskaitis 1977)

Dormouse activity Adapted for arboreal lifestyle Use aerial pathways in tree/shrub canopy Hazel – lax growth Bramble – scrub banks Reluctant to cross open ground (Bright and Morris 1992) But non-corridor habitat not complete barrier to movement (Bright 1988, Buchner 1997, 2008)

Hazel dormouse distribution (records from

Dormouse habitats –Deciduous woodland with vigorous understory managed woodland managed coppice woodland –Oak wood with hazel derelict coppice –Scrub (connected?) –Conifer wood –Hedgerow Dormice may be present in any wood or scrub habitat within their range

Dormouse Ecology Summary Hibernate in nests at ground level Arboreal when active Exhibit torpor in inclement weather Sequential specialist feeders Live at low densities Small home range Low fecundity Long lived

Why are dormice good? Key species –Plant diversity –Shrub structure Woodlands Hedgerows Scrub Responsibility What’s good for dormice is good for many other species

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