Distinctive full-tailed rodent with diag­nostic black face mask. Upper parts rusty-brown to gray along flanks. Underparts clearly delineated and whitish. Inside of legs whitish. Out­side of forelegs darker than flanks. Feet white. Head boldly marked. Crown orange-brown extending down snout. Black mask through large eyes extending partly down side of snout and back to the base of the ear. Mask to underside of head and throat white. Ears rather large, sparsely haired, and with white patch above black of mask at opening. Tail long, almost as long as head and body, with first-quarter short-haired and grayish brown, and the rest of the tail bushy and black. Tip white, at least in some individuals, especially in Sinai, and underside white to grayish. Vocal with wide range of whistles and growls, and a soft call likened to snoring.

18 records. Latest in 1995 (South Sinai).

Narrow (Sinai, western Mediterranean coast). AOO=67.2 km². EOO=121030 km². 4 locations. Evidence of decline in occupancy since 1950.

Narrow (Libya, Egypt & the Middle East).

Length 104-140 mm, tail 104-127 mm, weight 38.4-63 gm.

Type specimen from near Mt Sinai; recently split from E. quercinus Linnaeus; status of Libyan populations needs clarification - Osborn & Helmy (1980) recognised them as ssp cyrenaicus Festa.

• Terrestrial

The Asian garden dormouse exists in a wide variety of habitats, from steppe and semi-desert to high mountains, and from rocky areas with very little vegetation to snow-covered areas in winter.

A largely nocturnal species, the Asian garden dormouse seeks shelter during the day in hollow trees and crevices among rocks, and may occasionally use a bird or squirrel nest as a foundation for building a shelter. Large numbers of individuals may live together in a relatively small area, sharing sleeping and feeding sites.

The Asian garden dormouse is one of the most carnivorous of all dormice. While its diet includes any nuts and fruits it can obtain, it is believed to primarily be a predator, preying on insects, small rodents and young birds. In some parts of its range, the Asian garden dormouse gains weight in autumn in preparation for a hibernation period, in order to avoid the perils of the coldest part of the winter.

During the mating season, the female Asian garden dormouse uses a whistle to attract a male. Once successful mating has occurred the female marks the area around the nest with scent and defends the area from intruders. The nest is a compact, round structure made of leaves and grass and situated up to three meters off the ground. Typically, one litter is produced each year, with each litter containing from two to eight young, born after a gestation period of 22 to 28 days. First opening their eyes at about 21 days of age, the young are weaned after 4 weeks, and may live for over 5 years.

Native, resident.

Endangered.

Rare.