Hazel dormouse
Hazel dormouse
Mammal
A tiny, golden-furred rodent that lives in hedgerows and woodland edges.
💡 Fun Facts
- They spend up to seven months of the year hibernating in a woven nest.
- They are agile climbers and rarely come down to the ground.
- They fatten up on hazelnuts and berries in autumn to survive the winter.
📅 Through the Year
- Hibernation:November to April
- Active:May to October
Name Story
Muscardinus avellanarius
means “the hazelnut's own sleeper”
What does its name mean?
- Muscardinus — the musky oneFrench (muscardin, linked to musc, 'musk')
- avellanarius — of the hazelnutLatin (nux avellana, 'hazelnut')
- dormouse — the sleeping mouseEnglish (from a word meaning 'to sleep', like 'dormant')
Two names, two true tales: its Latin name means "hazelnut's own", for the hazelnuts it loves to nibble, and its English name means "the sleeper" — this champion snoozer can hibernate for around six months of the year.