Ranging and movement of the Common dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius in Lithuania

Adult Muscardinus avellanarius (Linnaeus, 1758) were found to be sedentary, showing small home ranges. The mean range area for males (n = 46) throughout their active season was 1.0 ± 0.05 ha, whereas for females (n = 33) it was 0.8 ± 0.05 ha. Male home ranges partially overlapped those of females and each other, whereas female home ranges hardly ever overlapped. In separate years adult dormice were sometimes found to change their home ranges. Dispersal was a necessary stage in the life of the young. The mean distance travelled from the birth place by young born in May-July (it = 65) was 360 ± 30 m, whereas the distance travelled by young born in August-September (n = 109) was 130 ± 10 m. The greatest travelled distance was 1200 m. About 90% of the young that survived the first winter became sedentary in the first autumn of their life, the remainder during the following spring.