{"id":761,"date":"2025-11-17T09:09:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T09:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/sustainabilityspace\/?p=761"},"modified":"2026-01-30T17:20:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T17:20:45","slug":"the-maybe-a-little-bit-less-secret-life-of-hazel-dormice-on-streatham-campus-by-ros-shaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/sustainabilityspace\/2025\/11\/17\/the-maybe-a-little-bit-less-secret-life-of-hazel-dormice-on-streatham-campus-by-ros-shaw\/","title":{"rendered":"The (maybe-a-little-bit-less)\u00a0Secret\u00a0Life of Hazel Dormice on Streatham Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
By Ros Shaw<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Hazel dormice \u2013 arguably Britain\u2019s cutest mammal \u2013 have been a recurring theme on Streatham Campus this year. While we\u2019ve had occasional records from development-related surveys, we wanted to dig deeper and find out which parts of campus these elusive creatures call home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dormouse nest and harvest mouse nest \u2013 learning to see the difference between our two mammals that make woven nests <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet the Hazel Dormouse<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dormice are small rodents that thrive in trees and dense shrub habitats. Their diet includes pollen, fruit, seeds, and \u2013 surprisingly \u2013 more insects than previously thought. Unlike most rodents, they breed slowly, producing just one litter a year and living at very low densities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This combination makes them rare and declining in the UK. They\u2019re a European protected species, listed as Vulnerable<\/strong> on the GB Red List, and are one of Devon\u2019s priority species for conservation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surveying the Campus<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve been fortunate to work with Devon Mammal Group<\/strong>, who spent the summer surveying woody areas of campus using nest tubes and footprint tunnels. Their efforts paid off – we recorded signs of (probably) two individual dormice on the northern edge of campus. That might not sound like much, but considering the average density is just 1\u20132 dormice per hectare (roughly one or two 5cm-long mammals per 1.3 football pitches), it\u2019s a great result! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, despite good habitat, we found none in the Lower Hoopern Valley. We suspect this may be because it was grazed farmland until relatively recently when woodlands were planted and brambles started increasing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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University colleagues, students and local community members learning about dormice <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharing Knowledge<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Devon Mammal Group were on campus, we hosted two events: <\/p>\n\n\n\n