Description:  

The Common  Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is within the order of rodents (Rodentia) one belonging to the familiy of Dormice (Gliridae) and genus Muscardius. It reaches a body length of approx. 6 up to 9 centimetre and length of the tail of 7 – 7.5 centimetre. The weigh lies between 15 and 40 grammes.With it, the Common Dormouse is the smallest species of Dormice within the family of the same name.It is approx. equal large as the House Mouse (Mus musculus). The colour of the fur is on the upperside yellow- up to yellowbrownish. One may recognize each at the throat and breast a white spot. The tail is, in contrast to other rodents, bushy hairy.The colour is at the base of the tail a little bit darker as as the overall colour and becomes in direction to end ofthe tail distinctly ligther. This rodent has eyes like pearls and short ears.The Common Dormouse was described first by Carl Linneus in the year 1958. This animal is classified by the JUCN as slightly endangered ( state: May ´07)

Distribution:

The area od distribution reaches from Central Europe up to East Europe. Their habitats are not Spain, Portugal,the British Isles and Scandinavia. The habitat of the Common Dormouse is undoubtedly the hazel – bush. It lives further in blackberry hedges and decidous forests, seldom timber forests with beeches or coniferous forests. The Common Dormouse are active during night. During autumn,if the temperatures fall below 15 degree Celsius,begins the hibernation.

For that it makes its way into ground holes,which covered by leaves fallen down. Its body temperature sinks sarce up to zero. Normally, the hibernation ends at beginning May. It may be active in April according to temperature during spring. It storage fat, to get without food in this time.

Food:

Most important component ofthe food are fruit of hazel -bushes. It eat further larvas and eggs of birds.Berries are just food as different fruit. Because the Common Dormouse has no caecum,being unique for rodents, is the food poor in respect of cellulose.

Reproduction:

During the mating season these rodents build a spherical nest having a diameter of up to twelve centimetres. Nests consisting of grasses, leaves and mosses are built into the hazel -bushes in a high of approx. to metres. They use insome cases leaved nest boxes of birds,to bring their young into the world.

The female throws twice the year between two and five youngs. These stay in the the nest together with the mother during six up to seven weeks,before they become independent. The live expectancy lies at approx. four years.