Dormouse
Our local woodlands are considered to be suitable habitat for the very rare dormouse.
We have had some interesting evidence of hazel nuts being eaten in way that is a trade mark of the dormouse however further analysis confirmed that it was not dormouse. We intend to keep looking!
Common dormice may spend up to three quarters of their life asleep. They hibernate when food is scarce to conserve energy. In Britain, they are mainly found in the southern counties, although they are present in a few scattered locations in the Lake District and mid-Wales.
The People's trust for endangered species have a new Guide to Managing Small Woodlands for Dormice
See also: dormouse nest boxes, very helpful dormouse publications and footage, including their dormouse monitoring magazine, their doormouse fact file, and much more very helpful information on this useful website.
Wiltshire Mammal Group
Dormice Monitoring Sites
"Four sites, spread across Wiltshire, are currently monitored in the county for the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (for example, in the Savernake Forest). Additional sites are also monitored using boxes feeding data into reserve management plans. Members of the group take part in this monitoring at sites at Savernake Forest, North Wraxell, Shaftesbury and Stanton Park."