Glis glis (Rodentia: Gliridae)

Abstract

Glis glis (Linnaeus, 1766) is a glirid commonly called the fat or edible dormouse. It is the largest dormouse and the only species in the genus Glis. Range mainly overlaps with a deciduous and mixed forest zone in Europe and southwestern Asia. Principal habitat is deciduous and mixed woodland and the species is strictly nocturnal. G. glis is unusual among small rodents in its long life expectancy (mean is about 9 years), prolonged hibernation (up to 7 months), and periodic reproductive failure. It is a species of conservation concern along the northern part of its range, and a game animal in Slovenia and Croatia.