Trip reports

Dormice

Tuesday, 4 September 2007

Our season started off with a brilliant lecture by Dr. Pat Morris on the natural history of the dormouse. As to be expected, for most it was a learning-curve job. The hazel dormouse (to distinguish it from the introduced edible one - see, learned something already!) is one of those lovely little animals that you rarely, if ever, see, so this talk was a delight.
We were given so much information it was hard to take it all in - family of its own, different teeth, different tail, and a food specialist to boot. And it seems they hibernate for half the year, live up trees, mostly come out at night and need hazel coppices and brambles in a minimum 16.5° July temperature band.
You may have to book an appointment to see one!
Pat finished by describing the conservation work being done with nestboxes and monitoring. Clearly, not the easiest of jobs, but one that is of the utmost importance as once again were talking about a fast disappearing species.