Homing in the Forest Dormouse (Dryomys nitedula, Rodentia, Gliridae)

Abstract

Homing was studied in the Forest dormouse, Dryomys nitedula. The distance of the experimental travels of trapped and marked dormice varied between the minimum (50 m) and the maximum (10 km). Fifty-seven experimental releases were carried out. Based on the distribution of 11 animal returns, a low probability of return was revealed from a distance of up to 5 km. The expected return probability was calculated using Furrer’s formula. The time of absence from a place of capture was up to four days when transferred to a distance of up to 100 m, from four to seven days when the distance was up to 1000 m, and it began to grow exponentially after a transfer to a distance of more than 1 km. The return time increased nonlinearly with the increase in the transfer distance. This suggests that the displaced animals discover their home area as a result of random walks.