Garden Dormouse

About the Garden Dormouse

The garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) is a species of dormouse native to Europe. The garden dormouse is gray or brown, with a whitish underside. It has black eye markings and large ears. Its hair is short, and its tail has a white tassel at the end. It is typically 10 to 15 cm (3.9 to 5.9 in) in head to body length, with a 8 to 14.5 cm (3.1 to 5.7 in) long tail. It weighs 60 to 140 g (2.1 to 4.9 oz).

In spite of its name, the garden dormouse's main habitat is the forest, though it can also be found in fruit-growing regions. It is particularly common in southern Europe, but its range extends into the north. Garden dormice are often found in the Alps, the Bavarian Forest, and the Ore Mountains.

The species is also present in northern Germany, but that population is apparently not capable of large-scale reproduction. In the Netherlands, it is almost extirpated: in 2007, researchers reported finding only nine animals in two woods in the province of Limburg, where it used to be common. They suggested this is a result of the landscape becoming increasingly monotonous and due to climate change, which they said interrupts hibernation... Wikipedia →