The world of mice
Edible dormouse
Glis glis
Did you know ... that the Romans ate edible dormice? Their name derives from the fact that the Romans farmed and ate dormice, considering them to be a delicacy, and they continue to be consumed in some European countries.
Family
Gliridae
Distribution
Edible dormice are native rodents and live in the forest. They are found from continental Europe to Persia.
Lifestyle
Edible dormice are nocturnal, sedentary animals which live together in loose groups. Edible dormice are members of the gliridae family and hibernate from the end of September until the end of April, a total of seven months of the year. To save energy, dormice drastically reduce their body functions. Their heart rate drops from 350 to three beats per minute and their respiration rate slows from 90 to two breaths per minute. Their pointed claws and the damp, cushion-like calluses on their paws make them excellent climbers. Their bushy tails act as rudders when jumping and as balancing poles on branches.
Reproduction
Male territories overlap several female territories. The mating season, which starts a month after the end of the hibernation period and lasts all summer, gets under way with noisy chases and games. Females give birth to four to six young each year. Their gestation period is around 32 days. The young become independent seven weeks after birth and attain sexual maturity during their second year of life.
Diet
Edible dormice find their food on trees and shrubs. Their diet is predominantly vegetarian, consisting largely of acorns, beechnuts, leaves, bark, fruits, mushrooms and nuts. They occasionally consume insects, bird eggs and young birds.
The edible dormouse in Langenberg
Since 2014 the dormice have shared the Mouse House with the house mice and the rats, where they live in an area furnished as a garage with an outside run.
