Wildlife and Conservation 4 Dormice

The Hazel Dormouse and a poorly Tabby Cat

Since I returned from my 60th birthday Irish roadtrip, it has been necessary to curtail my wildlife volunteering work. My 18 year old plus rescue tabby cat Sulin has been unwell with vomiting, diarrhoea and inappetence.

I have sadly lost 2 beloved male cats (Arthur, a 20 year old Russian blue with heart failure and Dubh, a rescued partially blind semi feral black DSH cat who was FIV positive) in the last 2 years, so my heart has been heavy and I fear for Sulin’s future demise.

Arthur-such a handsome flirt, Photo author

Dubh- such a brave lad. He had bilateral eye surgery for 2 luxating lens, before succumbing to a FIV related dental/mouth infection, leading to anorexia, shock and euthanasia- when there was nothing more that we could do. Photo author

Thankfully with the support of the wonderful vets at Barton Veterinary Hospital;

subcutaneous fluid therapy; blood tests, medications including anti-nausea maropitant; analgesic buprenorphine, appetite stimulant mirtazapine; kaminox to restore low potassium levels; ultrasound imaging and pretty much 24 hour observation on my part, Sulin is starting to turn the corner and improve (fingers and toes crossed 🤞 ). She will now need ongoing vitamin B12 medication to treat low B12 & folate levels linked to Irritable Bowel syndrome. But Sulin lives to fight another day. What a warrior!

Sulin Photo author

Yesterday, I felt able to return to Wildwood.

In the afternoon, I was working and supporting my colleagues with the care and husbandry of the Hazel dormouse.

The Dormouse has very large black eyes, yellow-orange fur and a long furry tail. Typical weights vary between 15-22g. Body length varies between 6-9cm. The tail is an additional 5-8cm long.

Photo Wildwood Trust

The nocturnal dormouse’s natural habitat is woodland and it was historically widespread throughout the U.K.

History of Hazel Dormouse Conservation:

In the last hundred years or so Dormouse population numbers have been dropping. Alarmingly, since 2000, numbers have decreased by over 50%. In 17 U.K. counties, dormice are no longer found, ie they are at risk of extinction.

Likely causes for this reduction in Hazel dormouse population include:

1. Habitat loss

2. Habitat fragmentation

3. Changes in habitat management - unsuitable woodland and hedgerow management

4. Climate Change

Climate change has resulted in both:

• the dormouse waking up early during its winter hibernation when unexpected, short warm periods can now occur (no food available) and

• the dormouse unsuccessfully foraging for food during new atypical cold, wet and windy spring and summer weather spells.

This lack of available food due to climate change has negatively affected breeding and therefore dormouse population numbers.

The hazel dormouse is a Biodiversity Action Plan species (BAP). This legal protection is designed to stop the reduction in dormouse population numbers and hopefully reverse this trend. A dormouse cannot be intentionally killed, injured, or disturbed in its nest. A licence is needed to trap, handle or collect a dormouse.

Wildwood Trust are studbook holders for the Dormouse species. Well, you learn something new every day! The Wildwood Conservation team are involved in a Captive breeding programme for the national reintroduction programme, liaising with members of the National Dormouse Captive Breeders Group, to select and pair up dormice, to produce a strong genetic mix for future reintroductions.

At Wildwood Kent, Dormouse housing consists of a series of wood and mesh “sheds” in the woods, containing earth, wood chipping, some native shrubs with small branches for enrichment, shelving for drinking and eating and a nest box. Dormice are housed either individually or in pairs.

I have not yet seen a dormouse at Wildwood, because they are nocturnal and asleep in daytime, when we are providing husbandry. Though I have been told that there is one blind dormouse (eye cataracts) who occasionally comes out of his nest in daytime, because he cannot distinguish between light and dark.

Daily husbandry involves preparing food (fruit, seeds, nuts, mealworms); visiting each Dormouse enclosure before dusk; removing old food; cleaning the shelf and replenishing with fresh food and water.

Due to the Hazel dormouse’s small mass, its resting energy requirement (RER) - that’s the daily calorie allowance - is very small and it is very easy to overfeed a dormouse, leading to obesity and associated health issues, such as diabetes.

Yesterday, feeding preparation involved cutting up apples and oranges into eighths and then subdividing those eighths into four small segments (great mathematical fraction revision).

Each dormouse required one apple segment; one orange segment; one (in season) blackberry (picked on our walk up to the wooded area); one mealworm; one sunflower seed; one level teaspoon tip each of two different kinds of seed mix and another level teaspoon tip of a paste ( I was unable to find out what was in it).

I didn’t get to meet the blind dormouse yesterday but I live in hope.

Video clip Zoological Society of London