Classification
- Belongs to the dormice (Gliridae) family of rodents
- Scientific Name: Eliomys quercinus
The garden dormouse is easily mistaken for some of its relatives in the dormouse family: the edible dormice (Glis glis) and the hazel dormouse (Mascardinus avellanarius)
Garden Dormouse (© Jiri Bodahl) 
Edible Dormouse (© Helmut Weller) 
Hazel Dormouse (© Sven Büchner)
Appearance
- Distinctive black mask aroud the eyes (“dressed like a bandit”)
- Reddish-brown to grey-coloured fur
- White flanks and belly
- Hairy tail with long-haired tassel at the end
Size
- Body length 12-17 cm
- Tail length 10-14 cm
Weight
- 60-90 g
- Before hibernation: up to more than 130 g
© Rudi Leitl
Lifestyle
- They hibernate from October to April in tree hollows and rock crevices, but also in walls, buildings and caves
- Garden dormice are almost exclusively nocturnal. They spend the day in spherical nests, which they build in tree hollows, crevasses or nest boxes, but also simply in bushes
Offspring
- After a gestation period of 21 to 23 days, the females give birth to 4 to 6 babies. This happens between May and July.
- At an age of about 40 days, the juveniles become independent
Age
- In captivity up to 5 years, in freedom less
Food
- Garden dormice are omnivores, with a preference for insects, spiders, worms, snails and eggs as well as fruits, seeds and buds