Yes it is a Dormouse & yes a licence is required. However it was all legal
with a happy ending. ( To my relief as it was just a judgment call) It started when I saw a mouse.
Sam (in the chainsaw trousers) was told not to move so we could take photos. Waste of time as the mouse happily posed for ages.
http://s952.photobucket.com/user/MikeBlue/library/Doormouse?sort=2&page=1 for 50 + photos
An attept by the warden & myself to move it to a safe suitable area was a total failure as it just jumped on me. (Que lots more photos) we them wandered around trying to find so cover for it to no avail.
The mouse was in the wrong habitat & awake when it should be hibernating. Also look small & not very fat to our rather inexperienced eyes. We managed to persuade it into a welding glove & sealed it in with gaffer tape (another new use of gaffer tape)
Them I drove it to Wildwood a few miles away. as they have a licence etc. One of their experts (Hazel) checked her.( After cutting up my glove to get her out)
Female small from a late litter last year ( slightly grey colour apparently) also under weight for January. Very unlikely to survive until spring.
Last photos are the mouse getting weighed on a bag ( & unhappy about it ) Looks much happier in Hazels Licensed hands. As they didn't have a mouse from that area in their captive breeding program, they will keep here with a view of releasing the offspring.
A little bit of paperwork to cover everyone legally. & she is joining about 30 other dormice at Wildwood.
Almost every time the right thing is the leave alone. This time small underweight in January in a destroyed habitat with a licensed rescue centre close by, there was another option.
Good day in the woods. Foe some reason not as much work was done as usual
Mike