Front feet have four digits and their hind feet have five. The dormice were served by either roasting them and dipping them in honey or stuffing them with a mixture of pork, pine nuts, and other flavorings. When it was eaten as a dissert, it would be dipped in honey and poppy seeds. It is also found on a number of Mediterranean islands, including Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, and Crete. That Slovenian delicacy was the edible dormouse (glis glis). ‘To this day, wild edible dormice are consumed in Slovenia, where they are considered a rare delicacy and dormouse trapping an ethnic tradition.’ ‘Exposure of male edible dormice all year round to an unvarying photoperiod and warm temperature disrupted their biological cycles.’ A single, large, seeding tree within the home range of a dormouse can produce enough resources to support the energy requirements of reproduction. [28], Glis glis have adapted well to the presence of humans and now frequently hibernate in insulated attics and even dark shelves in cupboards, particularly if soft materials are on the shelf to make a nest. "Population Structure of Edible Dormouse, "Current Status of a Woodland Invader – The Edible Dormouse (Glis glis) in the Chilterns, Central England", "Dispersal behaviour of the edible dormouse (, "Autumn diet of the edible dormouse in Galicia, northwest Spain", "Local environmental factors affect reproductive investment in female edible dormice", "How to spend the summer? The location and age of a beech tree helps dictate where a population of dormice live, since older trees produce more seeds. Sign up for our newsletter and get the best of Gastro Obscura in your inbox. Glis glis control. [14], Edible dormice are primarily herbivorous, feeding mainly on berries, apples, and nuts. Wild edible dormice are still consumed in Slovenia, as well as in Croatia. Private Trip: Immersive Art and Otherworldly Landscapes of Santa Fe, Weird Homes Holiday Tour: Decked Out Collections, A Holiday Gathering: Food, Foraging, and Mythology, Tales From the Museum: Best of Museums A-Z, Detangling the Devilish Origins of Scandinavia's St. Lucia Buns, This 19th-Century Cocktail Still Fights Cold Nights in the Midwest, Cultural Heritage Is Caught Up in the Conflict Over Nagorno-Karabakh. In particular, the Romans favored stuffed chicken, rabbit, or pigs for their everyday meals. By the 17th century, the peasant trappers had invented the first self-triggering traps, usually made of different kinds of wood. In parts of Slovenia and Croatia they are still eaten. [37][35] It was, however, very important to upper-class Romans that the dormice be separated from other products of the hunt, like the large game, for presentation purposes.[38]. Using dormice for food and fur is mentioned in documents which were written in the 13th century. Fat dormice are the largest dormice in Europe. By the Pleistocene, only one species, G. sackdillingensis, is known to have survived, and this is likely the ancestor of the modern species, which first appeared in the early to mid-Pleistocene. The village of Dol on Hvar island hosts a dormouse festival, Puhijada, every summer. , 2008 ). The Edible Dormouse lives up to 7 years and being the largest member of the dormouse family can weigh up to 250g with a body length or between 14 and 20 cm. See. It still seems like a silly festival, but from the little in the article, doesn't appear to threaten the species in Slovenia as a whole. They begin to leave the nest after around 30 days, and are sexually mature by the time they complete their second hibernation. They also mention the use of dormouse fat as a medicine. Edible Dormouse climbing a tree, Slovenia. Also known as the Edible Dormouse or Fat Dormouse, Glis glis are the largest species of dormouse.Not native to the UK, they were introduced by Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, at his estate near Tring in 1902. All rights reserved. For example, those in Italy have two to seven, while those in Lithuania have three to six. is the edible dormouse not the hazel one, however, it's as pointless as hunting anywhere and demonstrates the arrogance of humans who still act as if the world is there for them to exploit. [39] In the 19th century, traps made from iron and steel were introduced. The trappers used many different types of bait to entice the dormice, ranging from pieces of fruit to bacon soaked in brandy. [5] It is rather more sparsely distributed through central Europe and the Balkans, but can be found as far north-east as the upper Volga River. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. This is because the Gliridae family of rodents is protected internationally under the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, to which the United Kingdom is a signatory. How Did Madagascar Become the World's Biggest Producer of Vanilla? Removing edible dormice from a property may only be carried out by a qualified pest controller licensed by Natural England using spring traps. Dormouse/Edible A dormouse in a reserve owned by the Kent Trust. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. A beloved dish in ancient Rome, these rodents are now grilled or stewed in select Croatian and Slovenian restaurants. [4][clarification needed], The edible dormouse is found throughout much of mainland western Europe. [25], The breeding habits of the edible dormouse have been cited as a possible cause of its unusual pattern of telomere lengthening with age. [7], It is also found in scattered populations throughout Thrace, located on the southeastern tip of the European Balkan peninsula. Free‑living dormice (, "Survival rates in a small hibernator, the edible dormouse: a comparison across Europe", "Long living and reproduction skipping in the fat dormouse", 10.1890/0012-9658(2003)084[1784:llarsi]2.0.co;2, "Telomeres are elongated in older individuals in a hibernating rodent, the edible dormouse", "Infamous glis glis is blamed for house blaze", "The Ghirarium: How Etruscans stored and ate dormice", "Dormouse hunting as part of Slovene national identity", "Dormouse Culture, Tradition & Myths: Dormouse Hunting in Slovenian Tradition", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edible_dormouse&oldid=986384553, Articles with dead external links from December 2016, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from May 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 October 2020, at 14:36. Atlas Obscura Trips. [12], Edible dormice inhabit deciduous forests dominated by oak and beech, from sea level to the upper limits of such forests at 1,500 to 2,000 m (4,900 to 6,600 ft). With no trees left to burn, Icelanders turned to sheep dung for meat-smoking. In this situation, they are generally regarded as a pest due to the fire risk from gnawed electrical cables and fouling from their faeces. Mammals of Slovenia To the laymen, the edible dormouse (Latin name: Glis glis) looks a lot like the grey squirrel. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Communication is partly by sound, with the animals making various squeaks or snuffling sounds, and partly by scent. [4], Unlike most other dormice, they have no dark markings on the face, aside from faint rings around the eyes. Instances of house fire have been attributed to electrical fires caused by wires chewed by Glis glis. They fed these captive dormice walnuts, chestnuts, and acorns for fattening. 1992-07-09 United Kingdom Photo size: 11.9" x 16" inches . Females have from four to six pairs of teats. The edible dormouse in Langenberg. Northern Anatolia has a different subspecies, G. g pindicus. Beech mast, which is rich in energy and protein, is an excellent source of food for young and lactating females. Seasonal dormice feasts were welcome protein supplements for the impoverished peasantry. “Do people in Slovenia still commonly eat dormouse?” I was a little surprised with this question, who the hell eat these rodents. Please click below to consent to the use of this technology while browsing our site. During hibernation, metabolic rate and body temperature fall dramatically, and the animal may cease breathing altogether for periods up to an hour. The soles of their feet are naked. In Croatia, particularly on the island of Hvar, they are grilled over an open flame and served on bread. High-Speed photograph of Edible Dormouse jumping (Glis Glis), Europe. [8], A small, isolated population of Glis glis also exists in south-east England. The edible dormouse was farmed and eaten by the ancient Romans and the Etruscans (usually as a snack), hence the word edible in its name.The Romans would catch dormice from the wild in autumn when they were fattest. [21] Variation in food resources strongly influences reproduction because reproduction is tightly linked to the availability of energy-rich seeds. Edible dormice are active during a six-month period and go into hibernation[13] from roughly October to May, depending on local climatic conditions. They prefer dense forests with rocky cliffs and caves, but may be found in maquis vegetation, orchards, and urban margins. Slovenia: An Overlooked European Gem The Republic of Slovenia is a small country that sits between Italy, Hungary, Croatia, and the Adriatic Sea. He drives his dormice through the forest, sowing panic and chaos along the way. Opening hours. [4] They generally stay in the forest and avoid open areas to any extent. The edible dormouse or in Latin; Glis glis is a small nocturnal rodent that looks like a cross between a mouse and a squirrel. The Edible dormouse is nocturnal and gregarious in nature, often living in groups of up to 30. In this situation, they are generally regarded as a pest due to the fire risk from gnawed electrical cables and fouling from their faeces. In the past, they were hunted for meat, fat, and skins. They are mostly active in the summer and are active on average 202 min in a 24-hour day, mostly at night. Though it lacks the bushy tail, its grey body is a similar size, and it lives a life in the trees eating nuts and fruit. The edible dormouse gets its name from the ancient Romans, who grilled and ate this small animal with gusto (and plenty of honey).Today, the edible dormouse is still a traditional dish in Croatia, where it is known as puh, and Slovenia, where it is known as polh.In both countries, edible dormouse is a traditional peasant dish and dormouse trapping is an important event. Its fur is grey to greyish-brown in colour over most of the body, while the underparts and the inner surface of legs are white to pale buff; the line of demarcation is rather well defined. Front and back of the image: Front of photograph Back of photograph. A single litter of up to usually seven blind and hairless pups is born between mid-July and September. The edible dormouse or 'fat dormouse' (Glis glis) is a small dormouse and the only species in the genus Glis.. When I lived in Hertfordshire edible dormice made their home in my loft. Females are able to produce additional young if amino acid-rich foods like inflorescences, unripe seeds, and (or) larval insects, which also increase their numbers by eating the same enriched plant food, are available. But did you know that the upper class ate edible dormice as a delicacy? The genus Glis first originated in the middle Oligocene, although it did not become common until the Pliocene. [20], Their primary predators include owls, foxes, pine martens, and wildcats. [4], The breeding season is from late June to mid August, but both male and female dormice do not produce every year. The fat dormouse (Glis glis) has been a commodity species in Slovenia for almost a millennium. [4], Edible dormice that have been isolated on oceanic islands are a prime example of insular gigantism, in which small animals in isolated locations become larger over the course of many generations. [15], Edible dormice also consume large numbers of beech tree seeds. The cooked South African sheep's head is named for its bared teeth. From the six original escapees, it is now estimated around 30,000 inhabit an area that covers Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire and now Essex. But during special occasions, the Romans turned to their favorite delicacy: edible Dormouse. Certificate of Authenticity. One of the main threats to Edible dormice is hunting. Dormice have been hunted for centuries in Slovenia. In Slovenia they are considered a rare delicacy and dormouse trapping is a tradition. [40] The people of Slovenia did not just catch the dormice for their meat:[39] use of dormice for food and fur and of dormouse fat as an ointment is documented there since the 13th century. Poor and hungry peasants would eat dormice during winter because it is a good protein source. The dormice were kept alive in terracotta pots called gliraria. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win a box of our favorite obscure snacks, from Mexican candies to Japanese bonito flakes. A popular food in Roman times, edible dormouse is no longer consumed in modern Europe, except for Croatia and Slovenia. But when I asked Aleš if they also hunt and eat squirrels, the atmosphere darkened instantly. Every order comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from IMS Vintage Photos. It has a generally squirrel-like body, with small ears, short legs, and large feet. The edible dormouse is very similar to squirrel, with a rich, greasy flavor and only a few mouthfuls of meat on each one. [4] Some dormice are found to have hair and ectoparasite remains in their stomachs, but this is mainly due to accidental ingestion during grooming. Slovenians use several methods of trapping. Fat dormouse (Glis glis) in a house, feeding on apples and pears in the storeroom with pumpkins, captive. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. The Romans loved to eat them too. [27] Although it is not known why, the number of teats on a female edible dormouse varies across regions of Europe. Wild edible dormice are still eaten in Slovenia, and trapping dormice is a Slovenian tradition. Together, these narrow ecological preferences make it highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation ( Mortelliti et al. [30][31], When present in large numbers, edible dormice may cause damage to orchards and be considered pests. [3] Its name comes from the Romans, who ate them as a delicacy. The Romans had a special place to keep dormice which was called a glirarium. [24], Males are not territorial, and may visit the territories of several nearby females to mate, becoming aggressive to any other males they encounter. It was eaten as an appetizer or as a dessert. The dark confined space of the pot prevented the dormouse from doing to much excercise and made it think it was hibernating so it would fatten up. [22] Females reach sexual maturity at 351–380 days old and males significantly lower their body mass during mating season. [4], The edible dormouse is capable of limited autotomy; if another animal grasps the tail, the skin breaks easily and slides off the underlying bone, allowing the dormouse to escape. Today, the edible dormouse is still a traditional dish in Croatia, where it is known as puh, and Slovenia, where it is known as polh. If you want to experience something really traditional, we suggest you attend the dormouse hunt … A notorious delicacy of the Roman Empire mentioned in Petronius’ Satyricon (served dipped in honey), the dormouse remains a traditional food in Slovenia—particularly in the southern regions of Dolenska, Bela Krajina, and Notranska. The edible dormouse, Glis glis, was eaten by upper class Romans – they baked and stuffed the dormice, or fried them and dipped them in honey and poppy seeds. [23] An abundance of energy-rich seeds allows newborn dormice to increase their body fat to prepare for their first hibernation. The Romans would catch dormice from the wild in autumn when they were fattest. Edible dormouse listed among Britain's great wildlife threats . [22] Therefore, edible dormice breed during the phase of high food availability. Dormouse Scientific Name. How a Blacksmith in Jordan Created His Own Sign Language, In Naples, Praying With Skulls Is an Ancient Tradition, Inside a Domed Pyramid With Astounding Acoustics and a History of Miracles, See the Mysterious Horned Helmet of Henry VIII, Searching for Home and Connection Through Typewritten Poetry, Bob Ramsak, Piran Café/Used With Permission, hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=89983, secretcroatia.blog/2012/02/05/eating-dormice-on-hvar-island/, sarahemilybond.com/2017/06/06/pass-the-dormice-breeding-selling-and-eating-honeyed-dormice-in-antiquity/, borutpeterlin.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/hunting-and-eating-dormouse-2/, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dormouse-jars-glirarium-rome. They have frequently been reported from caves as deep as 400 m (1,300 ft), where they can shelter from predators. The edible dormouse (Glis glis) was considered a delicacy in ancient Rome, either as a savoury appetizer or as a dessert (dipped in honey and poppy seeds). They rub their anal region on the ground and places they walk, so traces of the secretion will be left for other dormice,[4] especially during periods of sexual activity. This Spanish pâté was so inspiring, someone wrote a poem about it. Mothers and daughters may share a nest and nurse their young communally. They kept them in terracotta jars with wheat and honey and the little animals stuffed themselves to twice their normal size ready for roasting. In humans and other animals, telomeres almost always shorten with age. The edible dormouse is the largest of all dormice, being around 14 to 19 cm (5.5 to 7.5 in) in head-body length, plus an 11- to 13-cm-long tail. The purpose of this paper is to provide an ethnological outline of the relationship between man and dormouse through dormouse hunting in Slovenia in the past and today. Often overlooked as a tourist destination, Slovenia is a beautiful, mountainous country with impressive rivers, forests, and a stunning coastline. [13] They are not generally social animals, although small groups of closely related adults have occasionally been reported. [4], The edible dormouse was farmed and eaten by the ancient Romans,[32] the Gauls,[33] and the Etruscans[34] (usually as a snack), hence the word edible in its name. Sihlwald Nature Discovery Park External facilities and Sihlwald. Their fur is well developed by 16 days and they open their eyes about a week later. The edible dormouse was thought to be a special food in ancient Rome. [18] In years with low food availability edible dormice can hibernate longer than 11 months. Be the first to share a photo of this item with our community. In Italy, Edible dormice are protected, but still sometimes are hunted illegally. Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia. Glis glis have adapted well to the presence of humans and now frequently hibernate in insulated attics and even dark shelves in cupboards, particularly if soft materials are on the shelf to make a nest. In this region, two subspecies of the edible dormouse are found, G. g. glis and G. g. orientalis. Winner will be selected at random on 01/01/2021. In some parts of their range (Slovenia, Croatia, Italy), there is a tradition of hunting this species. Atlas Obscura and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our website to personalise ads, support social media features, and analyse our traffic. [9] Today, the British edible dormouse population is thought to be 10,000 strong,[10] and Glis glis have been recorded in a 25-kilometre (16-mile) radius of Tring, mostly concentrated to the south and east. There is a species of dormouse that was once, and in some places still is, a bit of a delicacy. But it’s not all doom and gloom for these delectable rodents. It can be baked with buckwheat, or cooked in a goulash or stew. The dormouse uses sticky secretions of plantar glands when they are climbing on smooth surfaces to prevent them from falling. The edible dormouse was considered to be a delicacy for the upper classes in many ancient cultures, including Gaul ... this particular species is still considered a traditional delicacy in some parts of Slovenia and Croatia. The Slovenian dormouse … © 2020 Atlas Obscura. [4] They develop their fur by 16 days, and open their eyes after around 3 weeks. Call at least 48 hours in advance so that they have time to contact a dormouse supplier. [6] They prepare a den in soft soil or hidden in a cave, and rely on fat reserves to survive through the winter. They stay in the nest for about 30 days. The ancient Romans used to breed them to be eaten (usually as a snack).This is the reason for the word edible in its name. They are good climbers, and spend most of their time in the trees, although they are relatively poor jumpers. [16], Edible dormice are nocturnal, spending the day in nests taken from birds, or located in hollow trees or similar shelter. [17] Many edible dormice mothers form communal nesting areas where they care for their young together.[4]. [4] Compared with similarly sized mammals, they have an unusually long lifespan, and have been reported to live up to 12 years in the wild. Dormouse (Slovenia) The idea of eating vermin may be off-putting to most, but the Romans fattened up their dormice with chestnuts, walnuts, and acorns, roasted them over a fire, and proceeded to dip them in honey. The dormice were kept and raised either in large pits or (in less spacious urban surroundings) in terra cotta containers, the gliraria, something like contemporary hamster cages. The tail is long and bushy, with fur slightly darker than that on the body. During the prime season, trappers could catch between 200 and 400 dormice, depending largely on what kind of trap they were using. The male attracts a female by squeaking, then conducts a circular courtship dance before mounting her. Fig.1 Dormouse (lat. Nevertheless, unlike many other wild and edible species their numbers continue to persist, which is why polhanje, as the activity is called in Slovenian, managed to continue into the present. It normally weighs from 120 to 150 g (4.2 to 5.3 oz), but may almost double in weight immediately prior to hibernation. At the turn of the 20th century, the British banker and zoologist Lionel Walter Rothschild kept Glis glis in his private collection in the town of Tring in Hertfordshire; in 1902 some of the animals escaped and reproduced, establishing themselves in the wild as an invasive species. The edible dormouse or fat dormouse (Glis glis) is a large dormouse and the only living species in the genus Glis, found in most of western Europe. Since 2014 the dormice have shared the Mouse House with the house mice and the rats, where they live in an area furnished as a garage with an outside run. The fat or edible dormouse Glis glis (Linnaeus, 1766) is a squirrel-like nocturnal rodent native to the entire territory of Slovenia (1). To learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our cookie policy. [4] Germany has a small population of edible dormice within its borders, ranging from two to six individuals per hectare. Offer subject to change without notice. However, they are adaptable, and have also been reported to eat bark, leaves, flowers, invertebrates, and even eggs. The Romans used a special kind of enclosure, a glirarium, to raise and fatten dormice for the table. [35] The dormice were kept and raised either in large pits or (in less spacious urban surroundings) in terra cotta containers, the gliraria,[36] something like contemporary hamster cages. During mating season, males lower their body mass and use their body fat reserves to help fuel the energetic costs of reproduction. [24], Gestation lasts from 20–31 days, and results in the birth of up to 11 young, although four or five are more typical. Stuffed them with a mixture of pork mince, dormouse meat trimmings, pepper, nuts, asafoetida and garum and then roasting or boiling them (Apicius 8.9.1) External links . Today, dormouse is still considered a delicacy throughout Slovenia, and in certain areas of Croatia. [19], In the wild, most edible dormice hibernate for three winters, and then die in the fourth while hibernating, when their cheek teeth are worn out to a degree that prevents normal mastication of food. [11] The area of distribution has been described as 200-square-mile (520 km2) triangle between Beaconsfield, Aylesbury, and Luton, around the southeast side of the Chiltern Hills. I shall talk about the edible dormouse (Myoxus glis), focusing my ethnological attention on the dormouse hunter and the dormouse hunting tradition in Slovenia. They can be difficult to find, and require a trip off the beaten path, but are well worth the effort. Edible Dormouse . According to Old Slovenian mythology, the devil is a shepherd with dormice instead of sheep. The first used were the hollow-tree trapping method and the flat-stone trapping method. In Slovenia, they can be baked with buckwheat, or cooked in a goulash or stew. Although of rare occurrence in many regions of central Europe, Used a special food in ancient Rome of their time in the storeroom with,! Trap they were using have been attributed to electrical fires caused by wires chewed by Glis Glis has! Someone wrote a poem about it in maquis vegetation, orchards, and acorns for.! Glis ) looks a lot like the grey squirrel dormouse trapping is an important event, located the! Dormouse that was once, and trapping dormice is hunting their young together. [ 4 ] age of beech! Dormouse and the wound heals edible dormouse slovenia, forming a fresh brush of hair African sheep head... 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