Status: 15.11.2022 12:01 p.m
A dormice is the animal of the year 2023. The garden dormouse has had to cope with a halving of its habitat in recent decades. This is one of the reasons why the rodent is now occasionally found in the home garden.
The garden dormouse is the animal of the year 2023. It follows the porpoise. The endangered dormice from the Bilche family was selected in a vote by the donors of the German Wildlife Foundation. It is related to the much better known edible dormouse and the dormouse.
Its habitat has halved in Europe over the past three decades. In Germany, it is mainly found in the south-west and in the low mountain ranges – wherever there are enough hiding places for it. These include rock crevices, tree cavities and dead wood.
The population is shrinking
Particularly striking on the little animal: The black “Zorro mask” in the fur pattern around the eyes. Similar to the fictional character, the garden dormouse is nocturnal. He is between ten to 17 centimeters tall and weighs 50 to 120 grams.
Its original habitat is dense coniferous and mixed forests in rocky regions. The increasingly intensive management of the forests and urban sprawl made it increasingly difficult for the garden dormouse to find an apartment, according to species conservationists. This is one of the reasons why its population has declined drastically.
You practically never get that close to the garden dormouse in the wild. The animal is nocturnal and hibernates from October to April.
Image: dpa
With a bit of luck, you can now observe the omnivore in your own garden. The search for new habitats drives the animals closer to humans.
Because a nesting box for birds can also be converted into a garden dormouse den. The accessibility hardly plays a role, because the little animals are real climbing artists.
Holding a garden dormouse is almost impossible. Because the animals are now highly endangered and nocturnal. That’s why so many people don’t know him.
Image: dpa
Cats, rain barrels and rat poison are deadly
In the vicinity of human dwellings, however, the animal of the year 2023 also faces new dangers. In addition to house cats, which usually make no distinction between protected mice and mice that are not endangered, there are open rain barrels and rat poison.
In settlements, it particularly likes to stay in dense hedges, green facades and old buildings with niches for hiding. If you want to offer the little rodent a place to hibernate, you can Redecorate the nest box accordingly.