Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - Winter 1992/1993
Andrew Lucas

In the winter 1991-92 issue of the Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter, Neil Matthew wrote that dormice may still linger at low densities in the woodland and thick hedgerows of parts of Carmarthenshire. Neil's prediction appeared to be inspired as I subsequently found several hazel nuts indicating the presence of dormice in ash-hazel woodland NW of Drefach in September of this year. Dormice open such nuts in a most characteristic fashion, producing a circular hole which is smooth on the inside, whereas other rodents such as the bank vole or wood-mouse, produce a milled edge to the hole, which feels like the rim of a 10p coin - see illustrations below. Recently, in November and December more dormice-opened nuts were found at Coed Gwempa )22/436115), a part Woodland Trust reserve in the Gwendraeth Fach valley just east of Llandyfaelog, in thick hazel hedgerows at Crwbin (22/468129) and Ferryside (22/377112). Some of these are new 10km square records, raising the number of recent (post 1970) records in Carmarthenshire to nine. One recent sighting was of an individual on a gate at Waun Regwm, Four Roads (22/445098) in September 1992 (Terry Wells).

This raises the interesting question - what is the true status of the dormouse in Carmarthenshire? The nuts were found in woodland with a dense understorey of hazel - for this is the dominant shrub all along the limestone outcrop and in some other areas such as the major valleys around the Llandovery district. Hazel also occurs regularly - but is rarely so dominant - in the tall hedgerows of the Coalfield (from where a couple of other recent dormouse records originate). Indeed, it may be that these often semi-neglected thick hedgerows of the Coalfield are a stronghold following the discontinuation of regular coppicing in woodlands which has resulted in most woods becoming too "leggy" and without the dense understorey that dormice appreciate.

In 1993 I propose to address this question in two ways. Firstly, I hope to place dormice nestboxes in suitable-looking woodlands in order to obtain records of the animals themselves. Secondly, I hope to survey woodlands particularly around the Llanelli area (but also elsewhere) more thoroughly to look for other areas of old hazel coppice where dormice may still be feeding.

Help from Llanelli Naturalists members will, of course, be most welcome. If there is anyone who wishes to be more involved it may even be possible to arrange a training day in the Wye Valley to gain "hands on" experience of looking for both hazel-nuts and the animals themselves. Please get in touch with me at the address below if you are interested. Any records would also be appreciated. Hopefully, we will be able to fill in the gaps on the dormouse distribution maps of Carmarthenshire, and find out a little more about this charming but elusive mammal.

Thanks to Lin Gander of the Dyfed Wildlife Trust for passing on some recent records.