June 4, 2025, 2:14 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
He comes at night, wears a Zorro mask, and eats snails: The garden dormouse is not only an adept climber but also a protected resident of natural gardens. With nearly 40 percent of the votes, it has now won the title of “Garden Animal of the Year 2025″—drawing attention to a quiet crisis.
With 39.7 percent of the votes, the garden dormouse was elected Garden Animal of the Year 2025. The Heinz Sielmann Foundation aims to raise awareness about the dormouse’s endangered status and the value of natural gardens.
Clear Election Victory for the Garden Dormouse
In this year’s election for Garden Animal of the Year, the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) clearly prevailed: 3,648 of the total 9,181 votes went to the small nocturnal dormouse—equivalent to 39.7 percent. It left competitors like the sparrowhawk (1,713 votes) and the garden banded snail (1,361 votes) far behind. Other candidates included the grass frog (1,212 votes), the death’s-head hoverfly (819 votes), and the buff-tip moth (428 votes).
“The garden dormouse has become rare and is considered highly endangered in Germany. It’s all the more gratifying that as the newly elected ‘Garden Animal of the Year 2025,’ it now receives special attention. With its distinctive appearance and nocturnal lifestyle, it is a great ambassador for the often hidden biodiversity in our gardens. Those who design their gardens naturally and with rich structures can do a lot of good for the small rodent with the Zorro mask and many other species,” explains Florian Amrhein, spokesperson for the Heinz Sielmann Foundation.
A Secretive Garden Resident with Special Needs
The garden dormouse belongs to the dormouse family and is primarily nocturnal. Its striking black facial markings resemble a Zorro mask. Its bushy tail and climbing skills make it an agile inhabitant of trees, shrubs, and thickets.
Typical retreats for the garden dormouse include tree cavities, piles of deadwood, nesting boxes, as well as stone or leaf piles. It’s important that these hideouts are quiet and protected—since the animals not only spend the day there but also hibernate, which in Central Europe usually lasts from October to April.
Endangerment and Habitat Loss
Despite its name, the garden dormouse is no longer a common sight in domestic gardens. Originally widespread in southern and central Germany, it now only appears in certain regions such as the Rhine Valley, Moselle Valley, Taunus, Black Forest, or Harz. According to the Red List, it is “highly endangered” in Germany.
Its decline is closely linked to the loss of structured habitats. Intensive forestry, increasing land sealing, and the decline of natural garden structures severely limit its living conditions. The dwindling supply of insects—its main food source—also negatively impacts its populations. Often, only small, isolated populations remain, whose survival is at risk.
Valuable Beneficial Creature in the Garden
As an omnivore, the garden dormouse feeds on insects, snails, worms, eggs, fruits, and small vertebrates. This helps regulate populations and supports the ecological balance in natural gardens. Its presence is thus an indicator of healthy garden structures.
To help the garden dormouse, one should focus on diversity in the garden: shrubs, old fruit trees, deadwood, leaf, and stone piles offer valuable shelters. It’s also important to avoid pesticides and especially rat poison, as these can endanger it through the food chain. Any measure that preserves a “wild corner” benefits not only the garden dormouse but many other species as well.
Hibernation in a Safe Environment
The animals spend the cold months in nests, often built in tree cavities or suitable nesting boxes. In residential areas, they also use unoccupied vacation homes, barns, or dense bushes. A stable retreat that protects against predators, cold, and temperature fluctuations is crucial for their survival in winter.
The German Wildlife Foundation also warns against underestimating the garden dormouse: Its European range has been shrinking for 30 years—in some regions by up to 50 percent. Causes include open rain barrels, cats, toxins, or simply the lack of suitable shelters.
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Civic Election for Biodiversity
Since 2010, the Heinz Sielmann Foundation has called for the election of the “Garden Animal of the Year.” The initiative aims to raise awareness of biological diversity in gardens. The animal species up for election are proposed by an expert panel, with the final decision made by the public. This year, anyone interested in nature in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland could vote online between April 8 and June 3, 2025.
“Those who vote in the garden animal election not only express their personal sympathy for animals but also show genuine interest in protecting our nature and preserving habitats,” says Amrhein.
With the garden dormouse as this year’s winner, a species is brought into the spotlight that has rarely been seen but is of great importance for natural gardens.