Hazel Dormouse

Concerning the dormouse's name, etymonline says "long-tailed Old World rodent noted for its state of semi-hibernation in winter, early 15c., possibly from Anglo-French dormouse 'tending to be dormant' (from stem of dormir 'to sleep,' see dormant), with the second element mistaken for mouse; or perhaps it is from a Middle English dialectal compound of mouse (n.) and Middle French dormir. French dormeuse, fem. of dormeur "sleeper" is attested only from 17th century.

• Singular: dormouse

• Plural: dormice

The hazel dormouse is the small dormouse based on their environment, before hibernation. This small mammal has reddish brown fur that can vary up to golden-brown or yellow-orange-brown becoming lighter in the lower part. Eyes are large and black. Ears are small and not very developed, while the tail is long and completely covered with hair.

As a climber, the hazel dormouse has extraordinary arboreal mobility; it can walk between shrubs without touching the ground by using its tail to balance. The dormouse may hop between branches. This rodent's large eyes allowed it to see clearly in low light, and its powerful whiskers made it simpler to navigate thick undergrowth. Dormice can swim in an emergency, but they avoid water and aren't frequent or strong swimmers. Hazel dormice hibernate from October until April or May.

It inhabits deciduous woodland, favouring forest edge, secondary growth, coppices, and other wooded areas with a dense shrubby understorey. It is also found in hedgerows in farmland. It is an arboreal feeder, foraging on flowers, insects and fruit.

Examination of hazelnuts may show a neat, round hole in the shell. This indicates it has been opened by a small rodent, e.g., the dormouse, wood mouse, or bank vole. Other animals, such as squirrels or jays, will either split the shell completely in half or make a jagged hole in it. Predation from Eurasian badger, fox, stoat, weasel, and domestic cat.

The common dormouse occurs in Europe and northern Asia Minor (Turkey). In continental Europe, it is fairly widespread, although it is absent from Iberia, south-west France, and northern parts of Fennoscandia and Russia. It is also absent from eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Island populations occur in southern Britain and on Corfu and Sicily.

Reproduction

• Breeding season: May–September.

• Litter size: 2–7 young, usually 4.

• Nesting: Builds spherical nests of leaves, bark, and grass in dense shrubs.

• Development:

  • Babies are born blind and hairless.

  • Eyes open around 18 days.

  • Weaned at ~6 weeks.

Dormice will look for berries or crops that have been planted, which they will break and devour, or they will flee from big animals like humans. Food placed in chests offers little security since dormice will steal food from chests.

Threats

• Habitat loss: removal of hedgerows, woodland fragmentation.

• Declining plant diversity that reduces food availability.

• Climate change altering hibernation rhythms.

• Predation by domestic cats.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern (LC)

Conservation Efforts

• Protected under many European wildlife laws.

• Hedgerow restoration and woodland management.

• Nest box programs.

• Monitoring populations with hair tubes and nut-gnawing surveys.

• Anti-poaching enforcement.

• Rescue and rehabilitation centers.

• Awareness campaigns against illegal pet trade.

The hazel dormouse is indigenous to Asia Minor and Northern Europe. It is the only native dormouse found in the British Isles. The dormouse lives in deep hedgerows, hazel coppices, mixed forests, and deciduous woods. For food and refuge, these dormice need a variety of understory plants.

During The Recollections of Queen Arianna (TROQA) saga in the 2600s and 2700s, the "Sky People," or Terrans from Earth, brought the common dolphin to two exoplanets that resembled Earth: Reinachos from Cygnus and Berbania from Ursa Major. Despite the death of our planet, conservation efforts are helping this species recover from endangerment or near extinction. The dolphin became an invasive species as a result of human interactions for game hunting and rewilding. In two exoplanets that resembled Earth, the dolphin lived in conditions and climates identical to those of Earth.

• Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant

• Individual Type: Solo

• Population Trend: Unknown

• Population: ???

• Locomotion: Terrestrial

• Habitat: Taiga; Montane Grasslands and Shrublands; Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests, Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Swamp; Cold Bamboo Forests; Mountain.

• Earth: 

  • Extant (Resident): Albania; Austria; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czechia; Denmark; Estonia; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; North Macedonia; Poland; Romania; Russia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom

• Berbania: 

  • Extant & Introduced (Resident): Dirthsao

Since hazel dormice are protected species in many nations, keeping them as pets is prohibited. Even if they are legal, their strict feeding requirements, high handling stress, lengthy hibernation period that requires regulated circumstances, and requirement for a complicated arboreal environment make them unsuitable as pets. Instead of being privately owned, captive dormice are typically a part of conservation breeding efforts.

Coming soon

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This species was found in every episode of Earth Responsibly Universe with the Frozen series, The Owl House, Assassin's Creed, Monster Hunter, The Avengers, Agents of Shield, Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Venom, Street Fighter, Z Nation, The Walking Dead, every movie in 20th Century Studios, Mobile Legends, and Star Wars as part of Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure and Tangled Movie.

• Coming soon

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_dormouse

• https://quotessayings.net/topics/dormouse/

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Hazel-Dormouse-918939559