Common dormice

Thomson Ecology are highly experienced at dormice surveys and hold the relevant licences. We can help and advise you accordingly.

Ecology and conservation status

Traditionally dormouse habitat is ancient semi-natural woodlands with mixed species-rich open coppiced woodland and hedgerows. However, they have also been found in other habitats, such as conifer plantations.

The common or hazel dormouse is easy to distinguish from other native small mammals because it has an orange-brown coat and a thickly furred tail. It is nocturnal and highly arboreal. Its specialised diet includes flowers, fruits, insects, pollen and nuts. It is active between late April and late October, spending the remainder of the year in hibernation.

Over the last 100 years, dormice have declined and become extinct over much of England, primarily as a result of changes in woodland management and habitat fragmentation. They are now mainly found in southern England, although they also occur in scattered localities as far North as the Lake District and in parts of Wales.

Protection and legislation

Dormice and their habitats are fully protected by both the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Habitats regulations.
The dormouse is also a priority species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and has been adopted as a species of Principal Importance in England under Section 41 of the NERC Act 2006 (section 42 in Wales) and so is protected from any adverse effects as the result of development.

Licences and surveys

Thomson Ecology holds the relevant protected species licence to undertake surveys for dormice. If ecological mitigation is required, a second licence application will be needed, accompanied by a detailed method statement setting out the activity required under the licence. The licence will only be granted for reasons of overriding public interest and it must be shown that the favourable conservation status of dormice is maintained and that there is no satisfactory alternative to the proposed development.

Mitigation

Ecological mitigation may be avoided if it is possible to protect the areas of woodland and hedgerow during the development process.
Where habitat that is known to support dormice will be lost to development, dormice will need to be removed in advance and suitable replacement habitat must be provided.
If the dormouse habitat area is only small and there is suitable adjoining habitat (or suitable adjoining habitat is created), it may be possible to encourage the dormice to depart the area by cutting down trees and shrubs in the area. This must all be done under the watching brief of an ecologist to ensure that the licence conditions are fully met.
Translocation is possible and is sometimes undertaken but it is very seasonally constrained and can be costly.