Snoring Dormouse with sound - listen

Don't worry, he's okay! He's just sleeping.




He's a dormouse. In winter, dormice hibernate in nests beneath the fallen leaves on the ground. When they wake up in spring, they build woven nests of honeysuckle bark and fresh leaves in hedgerows and woods. If the weather is cold and wet, and food scarce, they save energy by going into 'torpor' -- they curl up into a ball and go to sleep. In fact, in Britain the dormouse may spend up to three quarters of its life asleep, either hibernating in winter or in torpor during summer. It is believed their name comes from the Anglo-Norman word dormeus, meaning "sleepy (one)". This evolved to become dormouse even though they are more closely related to squirrels.

As autumn comes, they prepare for hibernation by fattening up on nuts and berries. Then around the time of the first frost, when the temperatures fall below 15 oC, their metabolism shuts down and they find a secure, dry place to build a nest and sleep. During hibernation they lose about a quarter of their body weight.

They don't actually sound like this in hibernation, so don't worry. The normal sound is a high-pitched 'peep'. This dormouse was found in torpor by conservationists sleeping in a nesting box they had provided. He was only very briefly removed as part of a monitoring project to be checked and weighed to ensure he has enough fat reserves to slumber on through until spring. He was in the hands of a licensed expert and judged to be in good health. Obtaining a licence to handle dormice requires up two years of training!

There's also some great footage here: http://bbc.in/xAjHEy

You can help work to protect endangered dormice and other wildlife by giving a donation. Click here: http://bit.ly/AfDNLk

Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/wgtn2n

Currently we are also loving the sleeping hummingbird!! http://bit.ly/zgsBja

Licensing information:

This work 'Snoring Dormouse with sound - listen' is Copyright © 2011 Nicholas Barr

This work 'Snoring Dormouse with sound - listen' is an adaption of 'SurreyWT: Snoring Dormouse' originally made available with a Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0) by the Surrey Wildlife Trust http://bit.ly/wP4Fak

Category:

Pets & Animals

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[thamesditton46]

@iholdtheshell This dormouse was found in torpor by experts working for the Surrey Wildlife Trust in a nesting box provided by them as part of conservation work. He was only removed to be briefly weighed to ensure he had enough fat reserves to slumber on through until spring as part of their monitoring programme. This was done by a licensed expert (not me) who judged the animal to be in good health. As you may be aware, obtaining a licence to handle dormice requires up two years of training!

[Humbledingify]

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat,

How I wonder what you're at:

Up above the world you fly

Like a tea tray in the sky."

[lallsop61]

Its funny, when my husband makes that sound its nowhere near as adorable...that is so cute.

[perzovsky]

Your new pokemon show sign before evulution to ratata

[Kareltjekater]

Thank you so much for posting this little gem! Subscribed without delay

[eenavid]

its just the sound..i want this as a ring tone..!!

[dolphyn2]

I think he needs a sleep study...check for sleep apnea...LOL

[Joliie]

cute... but really, how bad is it to snore, when your the prey!!! :)

[Joansin4Joansie]

Doring snormouse.

[LilNerdy1107]

omg the cute is going to kill me!!!!