Spotting mammals

10.04.2008

Dormice

The furry-tailed, gingery dormouse spends most of its active life climbing around in trees and shrubs, and hibernates for up to seven months of the year. Even in summer, if food is scarce or the weather is poor, it will curl up and go into a deep sleep called torpor. Dormice live mainly in the south and west of England and Wales and are historically connected with hazel woods, but they can turn up in gardens and even hibernate in clumps of pampas grass. Dormice are rare and protected. To track one down, go on a dormouse course run by the Mammal Society (020 7350 2200; www.mammal.org.uk) - an expert with an appropriate licence will be able to show you one.

Photo: Dave Williams/Surrey Wildlife Trust. There are 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. With 670,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK's habitats and species.
www.wildlifetrusts.org

Country Living | in the country | Southwest | Wales

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