Devon Dormouse | The arboreal acrobat
Posted in:
Biodiversity, Dormouse, Protected Species
Date posted: 26 September 2015
This video footage of a Hazel Dormouse in a wood in Devon was filmed over a few consecutive nights in August by Matt Raven www.ravenquest.co.uk
The following details about dormice are taken from the Mammal Society’s Species Species Factsheet:
Recognition: Orange/yellow fur; our only small mammal with a very distinctive thick furry tail. Large eyes and ears (because it is nocturnal); Paws turn sideways (for climbing). Size: 60-90mm, tail 57-68mm Weight: 10-15g in juveniles; 15-26g in adults, up to 43g before hibernation. Life Span: Up to five years
Distribution and habitat: Dormice occur mainly in southern counties, especially in Devon, Somerset, Sussex and Kent. There are few recorded localities north of the Midlands, though they are present in parts of the Lake District and in scattered Welsh localities. The dormouse is found in deciduous woodland and overgrown hedgerows.
Behaviour: The dormouse is a strictly nocturnal species, found in deciduous woodland and overgrown hedgerows. It spends most of its time climbing among tree branches in search of food, and rarely comes to the ground. During the day it sleeps in a nest, often in a hollow tree branch or a deserted bird nest or nest box. Dormice live at low population densities (one tenth as abundant as bank voles and wood mice in the same habitats). Dormice are able to lower their body temperature and become torpid, so saving energy, if food is short or weather prevents them foraging. During the winter they hibernate and are not normally active again until April or May. Thus dormice may spend three-quarters of their year “asleep”.
Diet and Feeding: Dormice feed on flowers, pollen, fruits, insects and nuts.
Reproduction: They can raise one or occasionally two litters a year, each usually of about four young. The new-born dormice remain with their mother for 6-8 weeks before becoming independent. The breeding season and success depends very much on the weather.
Dormouse populations in the UK are monitored by The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). Have you seen a dormouse, found a dormouse nest or have you found a hazel nut that’s been chewed by a dormouse? To increase our knowledge of the distribution and abundance of dormice, please submit your records to the National Dormouse Database.
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