Hazel dormice: Rare rodent population drops by 75%
- Published
Hazel Dormice used to be common in the UK but they're getting more rare
A rare kind of dormouse should be classed as endangered, according to scientists researching the furry rodents.
Research shows the number of hazel dormice in the UK has dropped from around 3.5 million to just 750,000 in the last 27 years.
Currently their conservation status is classed as vulnerable, because their numbers have dropped slower than other animals at risk.
But researchers at Exeter University say we should be more worried for them because numbers have been dropping regularly for so long.
Ellie Scopes, an environmental scientist in Devon, says "we need to do something about it now. The main thing to do is act."
Their bodies are up to 8cm long, but their tails are longer at 9cm!
Their tails are always furry
Adults weigh around 35g - the same as a bag of crisps
They live in forests and hedges in Mid to South England & Wales
They eat pollen, fruit and tiny insects
What is an animal's conservation status?
Hazel dormice can sleep for over 6 months of the year! (we're jealous!)
Scientists keep track of lots of animals to see how many of them are in the wild and put them in a category to see how worried we should be about them.
If there are none left, they are called extinct - like dinosaurs or dodos.
If there are lots of them they are least concern - like most dogs and cats.
To stop animals going extinct scientists see which animals there are fewer of so we can try and help keep them around.
Hazel dormice are classed as vulnerable but the other kind of dormouse found in the UK (nicknamed edible dormice because the Romans liked to eat them) is of least concern.
Extinct - No longer living
Extinct in the Wild - only in zoos or other special places
Critically Endangered - Extremely High risk of extinction
Endangered - Very High Risk of extinction
Vulnerable - Risk of Extinction
How can we help dormice?
Dormice are tiny, so they're very difficult to spot in the wild
Scientists are worried about the future for hazel dormice but there are some things you can do to help them.
Ellie says one of the main things we can do is to learn to love the different kinds of places dormice live:
"Being aware of the value of scrubby areas of land will help, they might not look pretty but they support a huge amount of wildlife including hazel dormice."
"Huge patches of brambles are really important for wildlife and dormice. Dormice love bramble fruit and they nest in there too."
You can tell these hazelnuts were nibbled by dormice because of the scratches round the hole
If you want to try and spot the tiny mammals the best way to do it is find evidence of them eating.
Ellie says "one of the ways you can look for dormice is by looking for nibbled nuts. Hazelnuts are eaten by lots of things, but the way dormice eat them is very specific. They eat them in a very circular hole, that is something you can look for."
You can also join conservation groups who look after animals in the local area.
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