Asian Garden Dormouse

Recognisable by its large, oval ears and a dark streak running through the eyes, the Asian Garden Dormouse is a medium-sized rodent with soft, often woolly fur. Its coat varies from yellowish-grey to reddish-brown, contrasting with white or cream underparts. The tail is distinctive, starting with the same colour as the back before turning black toward the tip. These animals occupy a vast range across the Near East and North Africa, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. They are highly adaptable, making homes in coastal dunes, rocky cliffs, and mountainsides up to 2,850 m, where they may even live above the snowline. You might also find them in gardens or occasionally inside houses.

Primarily active at night, this dormouse searches for food both on the ground and in trees. While it is an omnivore that consumes plant matter, its diet mainly consists of invertebrates like insects, snails, and centipedes, alongside small vertebrates such as geckos. It remains active throughout the year, though it can enter a state of torpor for several days to save energy. Breeding takes place in the spring, typically resulting in litters of around three young after a 22-day gestation. Although they appear small, individuals captured in the wild are known for being very aggressive. No specific threats currently endanger the species, which remains common across its wide territory, though they are sometimes preyed upon by owls.