The dormouse life
Dormice love dense, tiered deciduous or mixed forests with plenty of undergrowth and constant sunlight. These sedentary, solitary creatures live on the ground and in the branches of trees and shrubs. During the day, these cute little creatures are rarely seen; they prefer to lie hidden in their artfully crafted spherical nests and sleep. The nests are found in tree hollows, nesting boxes, or between brambles; usually at a low to medium height of 2 to 4 meters. They only go out to forage for food at dusk. These small rodents are incredibly adept at climbing. Since they are true arboreal creatures, they easily climb the thinnest branches like monkeys. Thanks to the swiveling ankle joints on their hind legs, they can even hang upside down. They share this ability with squirrels. When threatened, they hover among the branches or jump to the ground with their legs spread. As soon as the temperature frequently drops below the critical value of around 15°C, the dormouse is triggered to hibernate and begins to look for protected winter quarters. They build their winter nests mainly under moss or the loose layer of leaves. They sleep for almost seven months of the year, from October to April. They curl up tightly and wrap their tails around their bodies. They lead a life of reduced energy: their body temperature drops to around 4°C and their heart beats only slowly. Over the winter months the animal loses around half its weight. The rodents, which reach sexual maturity after a year, mate shortly after hibernation. After a few weeks the female gives birth to between two and seven young. They stay with the mother for six to eight weeks, then the offspring go their own way.
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As their name suggests, dormice love hazelnuts. This fatty nut is their absolute favorite food! They also enjoy seeds, buds, catkins, blossoms, and berries (especially blackberries and raspberries), as well as small insects like aphids and caterpillars. Unlike normal mice, they don't store up food for the winter; instead, they spend the autumn eating themselves into balls so they can survive their long hibernation. They double their body weight within a few weeks. Since dormice can't digest grass or roots, they sleep through the cold winter months, when there is usually nothing else to eat, huddled deep in the leaves. They don't wake up again until April, when blossoms, buds, and pollen provide their first food.
