12.10.07

Going nuts for Dormice!

Volunteers will be going nuts across the South Wales area this autumn-winter looking for signs of one of Wales’ rare and elusive mammals.

Dormice are quite small nocturnal creatures, bright golden in colour, with a thick furry tail, large black eyes and weigh about the same as two £1 coins! You are very unlikely to come across them on a stroll in the countryside and our knowledge of their distribution in South Wales is still quite poor. So… we need volunteers and community groups to help out with a bit of detective work. Like many other small mammals, dormice eat hazelnuts, which they open in their own particular way leaving the shell with very distinctive marks. We want people to go out looking for discarded hazelnut shells in their local woodlands and along hedgerows and with a little bit of practice you’ll be able to identify which nuts have been opened by dormice.

To find out more and to take part in the Dormouse Survey call either
01495 235450 or 01495 235881.