Rodents and Hazel Nuts (1 Viewer)

James Thomas

Well-known member

• Oct 1, 2009

• #1

Is it possible to tell which rodents are eating the hazel nuts on my patch by the way they get into the shell? Most of the empty shells are pretty much destroyed and appear broken open, squirrels? Occasionally I find some that have been opened beautifully and have a neat hole with a smooth rim.

Cheers.

 

P

paulthomas

Well-known member

• Oct 1, 2009

• #2

Broken = squirrels

Neat rim is probably Bank Vole. It depends a bit on what you call neat though.

 

MarkHows

Mostly Mammals

• Oct 2, 2009

• #3

Hazel Dormice also gnaw neat holes in hazelnuts

Mark

 

James Thomas

Well-known member

• Oct 2, 2009

• #4

Thanks for the replies, Dormouse would be good, they were reintroduced to the Yorkshire Dales a couple of years back so would they would be at the edge of their range a few miles south of Leeds?

Below is a shell I picked up the other day, very smooth edge to the cut. I'll have a look for some better (more typical) examples.

 

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James Thomas

Well-known member

• Oct 2, 2009

• #5

Had a root round the internet, it seems that dormice go in through the side and leave toothmarks, this appears to be the work of a vole, top and no toothmarks.

 

P

paulthomas

Well-known member

• Oct 5, 2009

• #6

Looks like Bank Vole to me.

 

Farnboro John

Well-known member

• Oct 7, 2009

• #7

Looks like Bank Vole to me too. When you find shells don't forget Wood Mouse, but they leave toothmarks on the outside shell, rim doesn't look as neat as in the photos.

John

 

James Thomas

Well-known member

• Oct 11, 2009

• #8

Think I may have hit the jackpot today, empty shells, toothmarks and opened on the side.

 

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paulthomas

Well-known member

• Oct 11, 2009

• #9

It's hard to tell from the photo but I'd say Wood Mouse. The best thing is probably to contact your county mammal group and get it correctly identified.