Dormouse Facts - Dangers & The Weather

Wildlife Home
    Dormouse Home
        Dormouse Books
        Dormouse Links
        Dormouse Facts Home
            Dormouse Fact File
            Dormouse Dangers
            Dormouse Feeding
            Dormouse Body
            Dormouse Breeding
            Dormouse Illness & Death
            Dormouse Hibernation
            Dormouse Senses
    Hedgehog Home
Site Map
News
Help Us

The Dormouse & The Weather

There is no doubt that the dormouse is slowly declining. In the last 100 years its range has slowly crept southwards. The question is, why do dormice live only in the south? We know it is not primarily to do with habitat, because the dormouse's ideal habitat is relatively indifferent in the north and south. But, when we compare dormouse distribution maps to weather maps, we notice a striking resemblance between dormouse distribution and hours of daylight. But dormice are nocturnal, why would sunlight affect them? Because of their diet. Dormice eat flowers, insects and nuts. All of these things are affected by sunlight. So, for the dormouse, more sunlight = more food.
Also, the dormouse is affected very much by the temperature. Temperature maps also show a striking resemblance to dormouse distribution maps. In summer, dormice manage an average 6.2 minutes extra activity time per night for every degree Celsius rise in temperature. In autumn, this becomes 13 minutes by every degree rise in temperate. This may not sound much, but to a dormouse, trying fatten up for hibernation, this can be essential time for feeding.

So, the distribution of the dormouse is very probably to do with the weather. And, with global climate change, and the dormouse's vulnerability to the weather, the dormouse could be in great trouble.

The Dormouse & Predators

See Illness and Death - Predators for the information about the dormouse and predation.