Going nuts for dormice!
Volunteers will be going nuts across South Wales this autumn
looking for signs of one of Wales’ rare and elusive mammals.
They will be taking part in the South Wales Dormouse Survey,
which is a joint project between 14 local authorities, including
the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Gwent Wildlife Trust, the Wildlife
Trust of South and West Wales and the Countryside Council for
Wales.
Dormice are quite small creatures, weighing about the same as
two £1 coins. They are golden in colour, with a thick, furry tail
and large black eyes. Dormice are easily distinguished from other
mammals but are nocturnal and very unlikely to be seen during a
stroll in the countryside.
Vale assistant ecologist Richard May said: "Our knowledge of
dormouse distribution at a local level in South Wales is still
quite poor and we need volunteers and community groups to help out
with a bit of detective work.
"We need people to go out looking for discarded hazelnut shells
in their local woodlands and along hedgerows. Like many other small
mammals, dormice eat hazelnuts, which they open in their own
particular way leaving the shell with very distinctive marks.
"With a little bit of practice volunteers can learn to identify
which nuts have been opened by dormice or can send the nuts in for
identification."
Courtesy of Bridgend County Borough Council, dormouse survey
packs that provide volunteers with all the information required to
take part in the survey can be downloaded from the biodiversity
pages elsewhere on this website. Also available is a
second survey pack giving tips on how to organise a nut hunt as
part of a school or community group event. Details of where to send
hazel nuts are in the packs.
Individuals who don’t have access to the Internet can contact
Richard May for further information on (01446) 704855; email
rimay@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk.
The Vale will also be running activities for local schools and
the public at Porthkerry Country Park, Barry, later this year.
Caption: Dormice sleep through the winter.
Picture by Kate Merry