| Dormouse - Muscardinus avellanarius - Family: Muridae
 Dormouse - Muscardinus avellanarius© Dr Chris Gibson/English NatureA small nocturnal rodent with orange-brown fur, a long furry tail and large black eyes, the dormouse is scarce, found in local colonies in southern counties of England with a northern outpost in south Cumbria. Re-introductions of this species in various counties elsewhere have been supported by English Nature as part of its wider Species Recovery Programme: the dormouse was once a very widespread animal. It feeds on insects, fruit and nuts, especially hazelnuts, and on flowers like those of the honeysuckle. The dormouse is rarely seen and appears sluggish during daylight hours. It is aptly named as the mouse that sleeps French dormir = to sleep! It hibernates at or near ground level from October to May: a longer period than any other British mammal. It makes a characteristic round woven nest, often using honeysuckle bark. When active during the summer, dormice prefer to remain above ground in understorey trees such as coppiced hazel, but they have also been found to use coastal scrub. It is important, for this reason, that their habitat is well managed, and tree and shrub cover is continuous so that the dormice do not have to go to ground level where they are at greater risk of predation. The chances of having this animal in your garden are small, unless you are fortunate enough to have a suitable wood adjoining your garden. FoodNuts, especially hazelnuts, chestnuts and acorns; berries, including blackberries, honeysuckle and other flowers. It occasionally takes birds' eggs, nestlings and insect larvae. PlantsBramble, Elder, Hawthorn, Hazel, Honeysuckle, Midland hawthorn, Pedunculate oak, Sessile oak, Sweet chestnut, Wayfaring tree PredatorsBadger, Carrion crow, Fox, Stoat, Tawny owl, Weasel |
