What do they look like? Dormice are a bright golden colour with a thick furry tail and big black eyes. They are quite small - about 70 mm (2-3") long, with a tail of similar length. Adults weigh around 17 - 20 grams (two £1 coins) in the summer, but can fatten up to 40 grams just before hibernation.   Am I likely to see one? As dormice are rare, active at night and spend a lot of time looking for food high in the trees, you'd be very lucky indeed to see one. The best indicator of their presence is opened hazel nut shells on the woodland floor. Dormice open these nuts by making a neat round hole on one side and leave characteristic toothmarks around the edge of the hole.   Where do they live? Most dormice live in deciduous (broad-leaved) woodland and thick hedgerows. We don't know their exact distribution, but they are found mainly in the southern counties from Cornwall to Kent northwards to Herefordshire and Northamptonshire. There are a few scattered records in the Lake District and Northumberland. Dormice are found scattered throughout Wales, but are more common in the south. They do not occur in Scotland.   What do they eat? They feed on flowers, pollen, fruit, insects and nuts. These are available in turn as the summer progresses, so dormice need a habitat containing a good variety of shrubs and trees to ensure a continuous supply of food. Hazel, honeysuckle, bramble and oak are probably the most important food sources.   Do dormice hibernate? Yes, the old English name for the dormouse is 'sleeper'. They usually go into hibernation when the first frosts arrive in October or November and are not active again until April or May. Unlike summer nests, the hibernation nest is built near or on the ground and the animal curls up into a ball and goes to sleep. Hibernating dormice let their body temperature drop to that of their surroundings and their heart and breathing rate are often reduced by 90% or more. How many young do they have and how long do they live? Dormice have one or occasionally two litters a year, usually of about four young. In years when food is scarce and when bad weather has prolonged hibernation or restricted the amount of time they can feed during the night, litters may not be produced until August or even September. When litters are late it is unlikely that the young dormice will build up sufficient fat reserves to survive the winter. The dormouse does, however, live for up to five years, far longer than other small rodents.