Size variation in the Edible Dormouse and its environmental correlates

Intraspecific variation in size along spatial and environmental gradients has been documented many studies, different hypotheses have proposed to explain these patterns of geographic variation. We explored 4 island 35 mainland samples the Edible Dormouse ( Glis glis Linnaeus, 1758) from western Balkans Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia. Samples comprised 207 (mean ± SD=19.0±32.9; total n=740) adult skulls (age>1 year) both sexes. To remove phylogenetic effects, all were a widespread European lineage. Condylobasal length skull was used as proxy for overall size. Dormice smallest southern margin Pannonia Plain, largest beech forests Dinaric Alps, intermediate hilly parts Serbia on Adriatic islands. The (from Mt. Zelengora, Herzegovina) average 25% longer than smallest, population occurring near Belgrade northern Size correlated with longitude (R 2 =0.262; p=0.0009) 1 st Climatic Principal Component =0.687; p<0.0001) derived ordination 19 climatic variables (40% variance explained). tended be small warm dry climate, larger cold humid areas.