Photo sourced from insideecology.com
Hazel Dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) are identifiable by their fluffy, ginger tails and big, dark eyes and this time of year are often seen curled up fast asleep inside a snuggly nest. Hazel dormice are afforded protection under UK and EU law, transcribed as the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 and Annex IV of the European Habitats Directive, respectively.
It is therefore a legal obligation for developers to ensure that hazel dormice are not captured, injured or killed and their habitats are not damaged, destroyed or disturbed at any point during the development process. This may include noise or light disturbance, removal of suitable habitat such as hedgerows and woodland, and habitat fragmentation or isolation of retained habitat.
Dormice prefer to reside in woodland, scrub or well-established hedgerows, ideally where hazel trees are present, so these characteristics are searched for during the initial site visit. Biological records are obtained from local records centres to determine whether there is a history of dormice in the local area of the site. A site visit is then carried out to identify whether the site has suitable habitat to support dormice. Once a site’s suitability to support dormice is established, a series of further surveys will then be undertaken to determine presence or likely absence within the site.
Ecologists attach nest tubes to branches and leave them for a minimum of a month before returning to see if any dormice have created nests in them. The nest tubes are checked by opening them over a bag and the contents inspected to identify if it contains a dormouse nest or if you’re particularly lucky, an actual dormouse!
Nut searches can also be carried out depending on the time of year, as it is possible to identify the species of mouse eating a nut based on the pattern of teeth marks surrounding the opening. This process is then repeated over the course of several months to establish the likelihood of dormouse presence on a site.
Between the months of September and November conditions are at their peak for spotting dormice. This is because they’re easier to find in nesting tubes and boxes when they are preparing themselves for hibernation.
Our ecologists recently carried out a dormouse survey on a site with lots of dormice potential. On this survey only wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) were found. However, with one more survey to go, this could change. Keep an eye on our social media to see what we find during the next survey!
For more information visit Woodland Trust for an easy read on all you need to know about the protection of Dormice.