![Hazel dormouse](/sites/default/files/styles/node_hero_default/public/third_light/TWH_250911_0044.jpg?h=5f29f7b4&itok=3c814ZgW)
Young hazel dormouse by Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
![Hazel dormouse](/sites/default/files/styles/node_hero_default/public/2017-12/Hazel%20Dormouse%20Danny%20Green%20unrestricted%20use%20please%20credit.jpg?h=83ae7c2c&itok=TcrQNy6X)
©Danny Green
Hazel dormouse
Scientific name: Muscardinus avellanarius
Hazel dormice are hard to spot – not only do they only come out at night, but they are also only found in very few places in the UK. Dormice spend a lot of their time hibernating – and are known to snore!
Species information
Statistics
Length: 6-9cmTail: 5.7-6.8cm
Weight: 15-40g
Average lifespan: 5 years
Conservation status
Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. Listed as a European Protected Species under Annex IV of the European Habitats Directive.