In search of the dormouse
by Claire Stares from on (#TEGT)
Briddlesford Woods, Isle of Wight Like a magician drawing a rabbit from a hat, Ian's hand emerges gently grasping a ball of fur
A confetti of leaves swirl down from the canopy, crunching underfoot as Ian White, dormouse officer of People's Trust for Endangered Species, leads us along the woodland rides. As creatures of woodland edge and understorey, dormice are among our most threatened mammals, thanks to the decline of traditional woodland management.
They are also tiny, nocturnal and predominantly arboreal, only going to ground to hibernate, so the best chance of encountering one is by joining an organised box check led by a licensed handler.
Continue reading...