RANGING AND NESTING-BEHAVIOR OF THE DORMOUSE, MUSCARDINUS-AVELLANARIUS, IN DIVERSE LOW-GROWING WOODLAND

Thirty-four dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) were radiotracked to investigate their movements and use of space. They were found to be entirely arboreal and would make considerable detours rather than cross open ground. Their activities centred upon particular feeding sites which changed as the summer progressed. The animals did not range widely and normally were not found more than 100 m from their nest. Males travelled more widely than females. Male home ranges overlapped those of females but not each other. Dormice mostly chose to use artificial nestboxes; their few natural nest sites were mostly in the high shrub canopy, not in the low shrubs where dormouse nests have previously been reported. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to conservation management of woodlands and the vulnerability of dormouse populations.