I raked up a dormouse with the leaves!

[type2tattoo]

I feel so terrible, poor little thing. Luckily it was squeaking, though still asleep, so I found it in the wheel barrow before it went on the fire.

I am deaf to high pitched sound too so its a lucky little mouse. It seemed to be gasping for breath very rythmically and first I thought it was an electronic thing :?

I took it straight to the vet and by the time I got there it had woken more and was squeaking, they anesthatised it and it seems to have no injuries although its under weight and they are trying to find a wildlife centre to fatten it up

So its lucky twice, once that it got found before it died in hibernation and 2nd time when I managed to hear it before it went on the fire.

[Janec]

What a lucky dormouse!
Was it in your garden, if so, how lucky are you to have dormice?
I'm green with envy

[Johnny81]

A hazel dormouse?

[fairplay]

Did the vet say it was a dormouse ?
Just that it seems strange you were able to rake it up as it should be hibernating in it's nest in a thick hedgerow off the ground. I'm assuming you must have a lot of Hazel nearby ?

Neil.

[type2tattoo]

Yes the vet confirmed and I have had a call from the dormouse society who's member has picked it up to see it through till spring. Its not my garden, I'm a Wildlife gardener and one of my customers has a big garden. It was right by the house, I think maybe inside some thick grass under the wisteria, but no more than a foot from the ground. I have a pic waiting to be accepted The dormouse society was very surprised too

[Wild-Woman]

Wow! What a piece of luck and well done to you for realising what it was and getting it properly checked over.
Definitely a WAB medal for you!

Keep us posted if you hear more please.

[type2tattoo]

Unfortunately the pics not good enough <_< it was taken on a mobile so fair enough.

Apparently the rhtymic breathing is something they do when they are disturbed from hibernation, I thought it was dying and gasping for air. The chap from the dormouse society said it takes half an hour or so for them to wake up ( about how long it took me to get to the vets ) and when he got it it was difficult to catch as it was so lively

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by type2tattoo

Yes the vet confirmed and I have had a call from the dormouse society who's member has picked it up to see it through till spring. Its not my garden, I'm a Wildlife gardener and one of my customers has a big garden. It was right by the house, I think maybe inside some thick grass under the wisteria, but no more than a foot from the ground. I have a pic waiting to be accepted The dormouse society was very surprised too

Wouldn't want to harm your livelihooid but this is just one of the reasons why, from a wildlife point of view, it's a bad thing to do maintenance work in the Winter.

Miind you, I don't do very much in the Summer either! Looking forward to the picture.

[type2tattoo]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

Wow! What a piece of luck and well done to you for realising what it was and getting it properly checked over.
Definitely a WAB medal for you!

Keep us posted if you hear more please.

Thankyou Its made my day, especially now its ok, I will be showing the chap where I found it in the next few weeks and checking for others. and will be getting photos when its realeased late spring ( will get better quality ones lol)

[type2tattoo]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Wouldn't want to harm your livelihooid but this is just one of the reasons why, from a wildlife point of view, it's a bad thing to do maintenance work in the Winter.

Miind you, I don't do very much in the Summer either! Looking forward to the picture.

I agree absolutely, but people do and its better to have someone like me who takes these things into consideration than some of the fellas I know of that would have chucked it on the fire anyway.

I never work in my own garden either