Author(s): Krystufek, B., Hudoklin, A. & Pavlin, D.
Title: Population biology of the Edible Dormouse Glis glis in a mixed montane forest in Central Slovenia over three years
Year: 2003
Volume: 49
Pages: 85-97.
Abstract: We monitored the population biology of the Edible dormouse over three years (1999–2001) by monthly checks of nest boxes. The study took place in a semi-natural montane forest of beech Fagus sylvatica and fir Abies alba in the Dinaric Alps of south-central Slovenia. This report is based on 440 captures of 316 individual dormice. Only 29.4% of specimens were recaptured, 78.5% of which were obtained only once after they were marked and released. The highest annual densities (given as a number of individuals per 100 nest boxes) of adults were in July or August: 23.5 (1999), 25.8 (2000), and 47.8 (2001). Reproduction was recorded in 1999 and 2001, but not in 2000, which makes the high density in the subsequent summer of 2001 surprising. Autumn juvenile densities were much higher than adult ones: 86.7 (1999) and 123.2 (2001). The sex ratio of adults tended to be male skewed in the first half of the season and female skewed later. Juvenile sex ratio was mainly balanced (1:1), however the predominance of males was significant in early October 1999. Litters of young varied between 1–10 per nest box (mean = 4.9, N = 24) in early September. Communal nesting was not recorded.
Keywords: Glis glis, nest boxes, capture-mark-recapture, population density, reproduction, sex ratio
Journal: Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Journal abbreviation:
ISSN: 1217-8837
Publisher: Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest
Editor(s): Matskási, I., Peregovits, L., Morris, P. A. & Bakonyi, G.
