French Dormice

Three Species of Dormouse That can be Seen in France

Oct 16, 2008 John Blatchford

Dormice are attractive small rodents that seem to sleep a lot.

The name "dormouse" comes from the Anglo-Norman ‘dormeus’, which means something like ‘the sleepy one’; it has nothing to do with doors. Dormice are unique among rodents in that they lack a caecum, which is the part of the gut used in other rodents to help digest cellulose. This makes their diet (largely fruit, nuts and insects) fairly seasonal, and they have adapted by hibernating through the winter and snoozing rather a lot when their food is scarce.

The Edible Dormouse

Glis glis (the Edible Dormouse in English – Loir in French) was considered a delicacy in ancient Rome, either as a savoury appetizer (stuffed and roasted) or as a dessert (dipped in honey and poppy seeds), and they are still eaten today in Croatia and Slovenia. It is the largest of the European dormice, and since it lays down a lot of fat prior to hibernation, it makes a tasty morsel (if you like that kind of thing).

Lord Rothschild introduced the Edible Dormouse to his estate at Tring, in England, and some escaped in 1902 to found a small population (around Beaconsfield, Aylesbury and Luton). They are known locally as ‘little chinchillas’

The Loir is widespread in most of France (except the Atlantic coastal regions and Brittany), but is nowhere very common. They usually remain close (200 metres or so) to their nest site, but can have territories as large as 4 square kilometres.

The Common Dormouse

Muscardinus avellanarius (the Common or Hazel Dormouse in English – Muscardin in French) is the only dormouse with full protection status in France. It spends most of its waking hours high among the branches of trees looking for food, travelling through the treetops rather than coming down to the ground. This habit means that they are rarely seen.

The Garden Dormouse

Eliomys quercinus (the Garden Dormouse in English – Lérot in French) is smaller than the Loir and has a striking black band, which runs from the nose though the eyes. The tail is furry (like all dormice) and ends in a black and white tuft. It has very large ears, which – combined with the black ‘mask’ – make it very easy to identify (see the image below).

Alice in Wonderland

The dormouse in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) is portrayed as a very sleepy creature who is always drinking tea. The sleepy bit is accurate, but the tea-drinking is a bit of artistic licence.

It is interesting that Alice initially speaks to the dormouse in French!

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