These adorable little mammals just 6.5-8 cm are nocturnal and spend almost all of their time in the branches of trees during the summer, rarely coming down to the ground. They have been found in old birds nests but they weave their own nests (often in brambles or other shrubs) from strips of honeysuckle bark or a similar plant, surrounded by a layer of green leaves. When conditions are cold or wet, or if food is scarce, dormice curl up into a ball and go into a state similar to hibernation for a short time (called torpor) in order to save energy.
Their habitat tends to be of old woodland linked by well-established hedgerows. The growing human population, habitat fragmentation, the lack of management of woodlands or their removal, has caused the reduction of suitable habitat, leading to the drop-in dormice population.