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[[Image:dormice.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

[[Image:dormice.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

The '''dormouse''' (Muscardinus Avellanarius) is an [[arboreal]] mammal that, although once common, is now an endangered species in the [[British Isles]]. Similar in appearence to the common mouse, dormice have a long bushy tail that is used to assist in climbing of trees and live primarily on [[hazel]] nuts and other seed based foodstuffs.

The '''dormouse''' (Muscardinus Avellanarius) is an [[arboreal]] mammal that, although once common, is now an endangered species in the [[British Isles]]. Similar in appearance to the common mouse, dormice have long bushy tails used to assist in climbing trees, and live primarily on [[hazel]] nuts and other seed based foodstuffs{{fact}}.

[[Lewis Carroll]], the writer included a dormouse in the [[Alice in Wonderland]] stories and portrayed it as a fat lazy creature. This is not far from the truth as the dormouse (named from the Latin ''Dormeus'' or "sleepy one") spends more than three quarters of its life asleep.

[[Lewis Carroll]], the writer, included a dormouse in the [[Alice in Wonderland]] stories and portrayed it as a fat lazy creature. This is not far from the truth as the dormouse (named from the Latin ''Dormeus'' or "sleepy one") spends more than three quarters of its life asleep {{fact}}.

Due to the human destruction of its traditional habitats, the dormouse is in decline. This has become a particular problem in certain [[British]] towns such as [[Hebden Bridge]] and [[York]] where basted, baked stuffed dormouse (normally stuffed with sage and leek) is something of a popular foodstuff. Hebden Bridge locals have experimented using water [[vole]]s from their famous [[canals]] in place of dormice whereas York residents have attempted to use the far more ubiquitous [[rat]] (rattus rattus) in the local dish "spoogie" (the name given to baked, seasoned dormouse ). This practice may have  a long pedigree: excavations at [[Housesteads]] and [[Vindolanda]] [[Roman]] forts on [[Hadrian's Wall]] have uncovered huge numbers of dormouse bones, both within the forts themselves and in the civilian settlements adjacent. Distribution patterns suggest that certain premises may have served as dormouse 'take-aways' (shops serving ready-cooked food).

Due to the human destruction of its traditional habitats, the dormouse is in decline. This has become a particular problem in certain [[British]] towns such as [[Hebden Bridge]] and [[York]] where basted, baked stuffed dormouse (normally stuffed with sage and leek) is something of a popular foodstuff. Hebden Bridge locals have experimented using water [[vole]]s from their famous [[canals]] in place of dormice whereas York residents have attempted to use the far more ubiquitous [[rat]] (rattus rattus) in the local dish "spoogie" (the name given to baked, seasoned dormouse ). This practice may have  a long pedigree: excavations at [[Housesteads]] and [[Vindolanda]] [[Roman]] forts on [[Hadrian's Wall]] have uncovered huge numbers of dormouse bones, both within the forts themselves and in the civilian settlements adjacent. Distribution patterns suggest that certain premises may have served as dormouse 'take-aways' (shops serving ready-cooked food).

[[Category:Meat]] [[Category:Rodents]]

[[Category:Meat]] [[Category:Rodents]]