Forest dormouse: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the forest dormouse lives – recorded in 12 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Dryomys nitedula
Group	Mice, rats & other rodents
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	12 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Mammal
Order	Rodentia
Family	Gliridae

Where does the forest dormouse live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the forest dormouse in 12 countries and territories across Europe.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the forest dormouse endangered?

The forest dormouse’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the forest dormouse?

The forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) is a mammal in the order Rodentia and the family Gliridae, genus Dryomys. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the forest dormouse

The forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae found in eastern Europe, the Balkans and parts of western Central Asia. It is categorized as being of least concern in the IUCN List of Threatened Species due to its wide range and stable population trend. Forest dormice have a diploid count (2n) of 48 chromosomes. Even though this species lives in a variety of geographic locations, its greatest population density is in the forests of central Moldova, in Transcaucasia, and in the mountains of Central Asia. In most other locations, population density of this species is rather low. Population density is dependent on many factors. But the main features that this species depends on for choosing a location are the presence of the appropriate food sources as well as good foliage that can be used for a habitat. The reason why the forests in central Moldova have the highest population density is they provide the largest diversity of food sources which are available throughout the year. This location also provides the best type of foliage for the forest dormice to build their nests as well as swing from branches. The combination of both of these aspects allows for this species to have its highest needs met. Therefore, during mating season they produce offspring who also stay in the same general area when they mature. It makes sense not to move from an area if it is providing for your most basic needs.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Forest dormouse (revision 1381329665), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q300984 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).