Quantification of Edible Dormouse (Glis glis) calling activity for biodiversity surveys: comparison of core and peripheral populations

Abstract

In Lithuania, the Edible Dormouse (Glis glis) is an endangered red-listed species and only 10 populations are known at present. It is situated on the northern periphery of its distribution range and outside the continuous range of the European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) which is a key-species for this rodent. For this reason, habitats of the Edible Dormouse are completely different in Lithuania, where most dormouse populations are fragmented, isolated and might be very small compared to other countries, where beech stands predominate in Glis habitats. Alhough the Edible Dormouse is a well-investigated species in many parts of its range, there is still a lack of information about the ecology of this species on the periphery of its distribution range. In this presentation, we compare calling activity of the Edible Dormouse in core and peripheral populations using voice recorders. During the summer 2017, three voice recorders were deployed on three permanent sites in the Czech Republic, and three voice recorders were deployed at three different localities in Lithuania during the summer 2020. Voice recorders were continuously recording dormouse voices over the entire summer until the beginning of autumn, and relevant days of voice records were selected for the comparison of calling activity. The results of this study will help to evaluate a new method for Edible Dormouse investigation in Lithuania, revealing new and interesting information about its nocturnal life.