Kartierungsbüro Hintsche GmbH

Vulnerability and mapping methods:

In Germany, the hazel dormouse is on the pre-warning list (potetially endangered) of the Red List. Because it is protected under EU law, construction and planning projects are often checked to see whether the dormouse will be affected by the project and whether measures are necessary to protect it. To detect the dormouse, nesting tubes or wooden nesting boxes are often hung up, in which the dormouse likes to build its summer nests. The nests are built in a way that is typical of the species, so that the common dormouse can be easily tracked through them. Hazel dormice can also be identified by their hair (specific structure) or species specific feeding marks on nuts. With a lot of luck, a dormouse can also sometimes be observed directly. There is alos little danger of confusion because, unlike real mice, they have a bushy tail. The hazel dormouse differs from the other dormouse species found in Germany by its golden-brown coloration, smaller size and lack of dark facial markings.