September 4th, 2017 | danny Danny has been out recently helping Suffolk Wildlife Trust with an interesting research project funded by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). The project is looking at the efficacy of survey techniques for identifying the presence of hazel dormice Muscardinus avellanarius; a European Protected Species and very rare in the UK, largely restricted to southern England and Wales with a few re-introduced populations in the Midlands and northern England. The survey technique being trialled uses a simple footprint tube placed in the bushes in known, or potential dormouse sites around Suffolk. The tube is open at either end and contains a length of blotting paper with an ink patch at either side. Dormice and other small mammals walk through the tube while moving around the woodlands and leave footprints on the blotting paper. The tubes are monitored fortnightly and the footprints can them be checked. Dormice leave a very distinct footprint which is easily recognisable. The trial has been very successful so far, with the footprint tubes proving a valuable technique for confirming the presence of dormice, in some cases, more so than traditional surveys using nesting tubes nest boxes. The preliminary results of the trial are being presented next week by Simone Bullion (SWT) at the 10th International Dormouse Conference being held at the University of Liege, Belgium and the research will be published on completion of the work. The new technique is likely to significantly increase the efficacy of dormouse surveys, particularly when combined with the established methods. Danny holds a current dormouse survey licence and is an experienced dormouse ecologist having designed and delivered dormouse projects including EPSM licences and habitat creation projects. Contact Riverdale Ecology if you require dormouse surveys or have a project where dormice could be a constraint to development and need some expert advice.