Dormouse or Harvest Mouse?

[MiraNova]

A couple of years ago I found a small headless mouse-like creature on our front lawn, it had orangey coloured fur, with a white stomach, a shortish fluffy tail, and pale paws. I hugely regret not picking it up and photographing it, and by the time I thought of doing that, it had gone. I did a look on the internet at the time to try and identify it, and looked at pictures of a Dormouse, and it was very similar, except that the dormice photos I looked at had long stringy tails, and this was shorter and more fluffy looking.

I then forgot about it until I saw a picture in our local paper with some Dormice, and these had fluffier tails, so I now believe it was either a dormouse - or a harvest mouse which seems to look quite similar.

We live just outside a village, with a small woodland and a field to one side of our house, and another field on the other side. Between us and the field is a corridor of brambles, and it is near here that we found the dead mammal. There are quite a lot of hazel trees in the woodland, some of which are next to our fencing. I've checked some of the hazelnuts that fall into the garden, but none showed signs of dormice (I sent them off to Surrey Wildlife Trust). We also have honeysuckle (but on the house), and some hawthorns, plus wooden fencing all around our garden (I have read that they like to be above ground).

We have bought a couple of dormouse boxes - but are not sure where we should place them? What are the differences between a harvest mouse and a dormouse? We have started coppicing the hazel trees - but are now only going to do a few at a time, just in case. At some point we were planning to clear some of the brambles, but obviously don't want to do that if it houses dormice.

Are there any clear differences between dormice and harvest mice? Apart from putting up the dormice boxes, what else could/should we be doing?

Thanks

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by MiraNova

We live just outside a village, with a small woodland and a field to one side of our house, and another field on the other side. Between us and the field is a corridor of brambles, and it is near here that we found the dead mammal. There are quite a lot of hazel trees in the woodland, some of which are next to our fencing. I've checked some of the hazelnuts that fall into the garden, but none showed signs of dormice (I sent them off to Surrey Wildlife Trust). We also have honeysuckle (but on the house), and some hawthorns, plus wooden fencing all around our garden (I have read that they like to be above ground).

We have bought a couple of dormouse boxes - but are not sure where we should place them? What are the differences between a harvest mouse and a dormouse? We have started coppicing the hazel trees - but are now only going to do a few at a time, just in case. At some point we were planning to clear some of the brambles, but obviously don't want to do that if it houses dormice.

Are there any clear differences between dormice and harvest mice? Apart from putting up the dormice boxes, what else could/should we be doing?

Thanks

Quite hard to say which from your description it could be either.

Harvest mice are tiny, and are a reddy brown with a very sharp delineation between the white underside and brown upper side. They have a think long tail, which is less fluffy than a dormouse. Dormice have a distinctive fluffy tail (small proportion have a white tip to it). They are bright orange too. Facially both look quite different from each other although they share a blunt muzzle.

Dormice are dependent on ancient woodland, or well managed woodland usually containing coppiced hazel, old hedgerows are used sometimes too. Harvest mice tend to live in more open areas of rough grassland, meadow, reed beds, arable land and scrub.

They habitat you describe could support both however harvest mice are much more widespread. Additionally young woodland or heavily fragmented woodland is less likely to support dormice.

Managing hazel is best done by coppicing different areas at different time on a 10 year rotation. This produces a variety of ages which tends to increase the biodiversity of the area and is helpful for dormice, do these in groups not scattered trees. On 10th or 15th of the wood should be cut in this way depending on how large it is and what species are present. Try to encourage dense hedgerows and maybe plant hazel within them. If you dont need to clear bramble dont do it, bramble is fantastic for harvest mice and to a lesser extent dormice.

Boxes would be good.

A bit more info about the surrounding habitat would be useful.

[RKB]

Shortish fluffy tail? Sounds like a Weasel.

[Farplace]

....Or a hamster (sorry )

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by RKB

Shortish fluffy tail? Sounds like a Weasel.

very good point, I wasnt thinking outside of the lines.

[MiraNova]

It wasn't tiny nor reddy brown, definitely orangey in colour. Head was missing so no idea of facial features. It definitely wasn't a weasel, as have seen one of those in the garden before, and it did look very different. Think it unlikely to have been a hamster
Its feet struck me as larger than you usually see on a mouse, and were quite paddle like if that makes sense.

Our garden is not particularly well-maintained, with lots of grass edges (where we often find slow worms). The woodland is probably only about 100 years old I would say, with a mixture of trees, and the hazel trees forming the boundary line between the woodland and our garden. The woodland to the left is just over 2 acres in size, with a field on the other side of it, and other areas of woodland nearby. The 3 acre field to the right is separated from our garden by the corridor of bramble, and also by a hedge of Hawthorne. We have raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberries all in that area.

We live in Green Belt, AONB, AGLV, and adjacent to a site of special scientific interest - and have a nature reserve across the road, and another one out at the back beyond a field. There is a stream running through the woods, and we often have deer, foxes and the occasional badger, as well as lots of bats,owls, pheasants and buzzards. We also have adders and grass snakes in the garden - so quite a lot of wildlife (not sure if that is relevant). Lots of rabbits, mice and squirrels too - although the cat has some of those. We keep him in at night.

We will coppice the hazel trees in small groups, and see if anything interesting nests in the dormouse boxes. Thanks for your suggestions..

[davecatt]

I've never seen a Dormouse but from your description it probably was not a Harvest mouse,if it was, the tail would be about the same length as the body.

If you intend managing the woodland to benefit Dormice then you should contacting the local wildlife trust for advice.
dave

[MiraNova]

I will contact the local wildlife trust about the woods. We don't own the woods, but do have access in return for maintaining it. We do most of the clearance - which has been the removal of a lot of broken glass, rubble and rusty gates etc, as well as cutting up fallen trees.

The woods are owned by a property developer, along with some other land, and although he would like to turn it into a road, we're fairly comfortable, at the moment, that the local council will not permit this.

[RKB]

Originally Posted by MiraNova

We will coppice the hazel trees in small groups, and see if anything interesting nests in the dormouse boxes. ..

Likely a load of Blue/Great Tits. They love nesting in them.

[Dogghound]

as well as woodmice, shrews and wasps.