Common dormice may spend up to three quarters of their life asleep. They hibernate when food is scarce to conserve energy.

Life span
Up to 5 years.

Statistics
Head and body length: 65-85mm, Weight: 15-30g.

Physical description
Common dormice can be distinguished from other mouse-sized mammals by their thick, bushy tail. They have orange/brown fur on their upper-parts, yellow/white under-parts, and a white throat.

Distribution
Common dormice range over most of Europe, to southern Scandinavia. In Britain, they are mainly found in the southern counties, although they are present in a few scattered locations in the Lake District and mid-Wales.

Habitat
They inhabit deciduous woodland with scrub, coppiced woodlands and hedgerows.

Diet
Common dormice feed on seeds, flowers, fruits and insects. Nuts, including chestnuts, acorns and hazelnuts, are important food sources prior to hibernation.

Behaviour
Dormice spend the day sleeping in nests made from honeysuckle bark, grass, moss and leaves, which are typically about 15cm in diameter and woven to entirely surround the animal.

Little is known about their social organisation, but it is thought that they sometimes live in pairs. Dormice are nocturnal and hibernate from October to April. They are good climbers, and spend most of their time in the tree canopy.

Reproduction
Common dormice rear one or two litters a year, typically of four young (although the litter size can range from 1-7). The young first leave the nest after four weeks, but they may remain with their mother for a further seven weeks.

Conservation status
Common dormice are in the Lower Risk category of the 2000 IUCN Red List. In Britain they are protected by law and may not be killed, injured, disturbed in their nests, collected, trapped or sold except under licence. A loss of suitable habitat in Britain has led to a steep decline in their numbers.