Extracts from article written by Claire Williams and published in 'Yours' Mag UK cDec 2010
"The sight of a sleepy little dormouse curled up into a tight ball of golden fur may sadly become a thing of the past. The common or hazel dormouse... is in decline and rapidly becoming endangered.
"According to a survey last year [by]... The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), the number of dormice in the UK has fallen by 39% since 1992, making it vulnerable to extinction.
"One complicating factor is that because dormice are small and rare it's very hard to count them. Typically they live in shrubs and trees, and are nocturnal. This, combined with a rise in modern building developments means that many woodlands and hedgerows that once provided homes for dormice have been destroyed.
"The PTES, along with Natural England, have been working hard to protect our dormouse population and their habitat - but they need help identifying where the dormice area... This is where you can help: they need [UK] volunteers to track down the dormice, by looking out for certain tell-tale signs...
"Dormice love eating hazel nuts fresh on the tree while they're still green and relatively soft to nibble. Once discarded, the shells turn brown and fall to the ground. By searching for the shells it's possible to find out where the dormice live.
"If you'd like to join the PTES Great Nut Hunt, all you'll need is a magnifying glass... The best time to carry out a local survey is in autumn and winter, as the discarded nutshells are easiest to find. Once you've found a pile, use the Great Nut Hunt ID pack to work out which animal has gnawed them. If you can find some likely nutshells, you can seen them to the charity's 'Chief Nutter' to check them for you...
"To download a Great Nut Hunt survey pack visit www.greatnuthunt.org.uk...
"If you're unable to go nut hunting you can still help by adopting a dormouse. You can find details of how to do this [by visiting]... www.wildlifetrusts.org ."
"The sight of a sleepy little dormouse curled up into a tight ball of golden fur may sadly become a thing of the past. The common or hazel dormouse... is in decline and rapidly becoming endangered.
"According to a survey last year [by]... The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), the number of dormice in the UK has fallen by 39% since 1992, making it vulnerable to extinction.
"One complicating factor is that because dormice are small and rare it's very hard to count them. Typically they live in shrubs and trees, and are nocturnal. This, combined with a rise in modern building developments means that many woodlands and hedgerows that once provided homes for dormice have been destroyed.
"The PTES, along with Natural England, have been working hard to protect our dormouse population and their habitat - but they need help identifying where the dormice area... This is where you can help: they need [UK] volunteers to track down the dormice, by looking out for certain tell-tale signs...
"Dormice love eating hazel nuts fresh on the tree while they're still green and relatively soft to nibble. Once discarded, the shells turn brown and fall to the ground. By searching for the shells it's possible to find out where the dormice live.
"If you'd like to join the PTES Great Nut Hunt, all you'll need is a magnifying glass... The best time to carry out a local survey is in autumn and winter, as the discarded nutshells are easiest to find. Once you've found a pile, use the Great Nut Hunt ID pack to work out which animal has gnawed them. If you can find some likely nutshells, you can seen them to the charity's 'Chief Nutter' to check them for you...
"To download a Great Nut Hunt survey pack visit www.greatnuthunt.org.uk...
"If you're unable to go nut hunting you can still help by adopting a dormouse. You can find details of how to do this [by visiting]... www.wildlifetrusts.org ."
('Yours' Mag UK cDec 2010)
The rare oldfield mouse - rediscovered in North Carolina
