Glis glis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	GLIRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Glis glis

Species Authority

Infra-specific Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Edible Dormouse, Fat Dormouse
French	–	Loir Gris
Spanish	–	Lirón Gris

Synonym/s:

Myoxus glis

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Amori, G., Hutterer, R., Kryštufek, B., Yigit, N., Mitsain, G., Muñoz, L.J.P, Meinig, H. & Juškaitis, R.

Evaluator/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Temple, H. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
A common and widespread species. Declines are occurring in the northernmost part of the range, but in the southern part it is abundant and considered a pest species. Consequently it is assessed as Least Concern.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/near threatened (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Glis glis has a global distribution that extends across Europe and through northern Turkey to the Caucasus, northern Iran and Turkmenistan. In the Mediterranean, it occurs from northern Spain through central and eastern Europe, as far as Latvia in the north and Italy and the Balkan Peninsula in the south (Kryštufek 1999). It is found on a number of Mediterranean islands, but the population in the British Isles is the result of an introduction in 1902 (Kryštufek 1999, Battersby 2005). It is recorded from sea level to 2,000 m.
Countries:	Native: Albania; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czech Republic; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Moldova; Montenegro; Poland; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Switzerland; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine Introduced: United Kingdom Presence uncertain: Armenia

Range Description:

Glis glis has a global distribution that extends across Europe and through northern Turkey to the Caucasus, northern Iran and Turkmenistan. In the Mediterranean, it occurs from northern Spain through central and eastern Europe, as far as Latvia in the north and Italy and the Balkan Peninsula in the south (Kryštufek 1999). It is found on a number of Mediterranean islands, but the population in the British Isles is the result of an introduction in 1902 (Kryštufek 1999, Battersby 2005). It is recorded from sea level to 2,000 m.

Countries:

Native:

Albania; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czech Republic; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Moldova; Montenegro; Poland; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Switzerland; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine

Introduced:

United Kingdom

Presence uncertain:

Armenia

Population [top]

Population:	In northern parts of its range it is scarce and may be declining, whereas in southern parts of its range it is sufficiently abundant to be considered an agricultural pest in years of high population density. In central Europe, typical population densities may be c.5 individuals per hectare, although densities of 20-22 individuals per hectare have been recorded (Kryštufek 1999).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is typically found in mature deciduous and mixed woodland, where it frequents the canopy, although it also occurs in maquis and shrubland on rocky areas along the Mediterranean coast. Man-made habitats such as gardens and orchards are sometimes used, and the species often enters buildings (Macdonald and Barrett 1993, Kryštufek 1999).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	In parts of its range, including Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy, there is a tradition of hunting this species. In the past, it was a source of meat, fat, and skins for subsistence and trade, but today it is hunted recreationally (Kryštufek 1999). The species is protected in Italy, but is sometimes illegally hunted (G. Amori pers. comm. 2006). In northeastern Europe, cutting of oak forests is a threat (Juškaitis 2003).

Major Threat(s):

In parts of its range, including Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy, there is a tradition of hunting this species. In the past, it was a source of meat, fat, and skins for subsistence and trade, but today it is hunted recreationally (Kryštufek 1999). The species is protected in Italy, but is sometimes illegally hunted (G. Amori pers. comm. 2006). In northeastern Europe, cutting of oak forests is a threat (Juškaitis 2003).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is listed on Appenix III of the Bern Convention. It occurs in protected areas throught its range.

Conservation Actions:

It is listed on Appenix III of the Bern Convention. It occurs in protected areas throught its range.

Citation:	IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 12 October 2008.
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