ENDANGERED dormice are thriving in a Stock wood according to the first countywide survey of the elusive creatures.
Nineteen dormice have been discovered at Swan Wood during a mouse hunt sparked by concerns over the population's decline across the UK.
Graham Hart, a volunteer with Essex Wildlife Trust, said: "We are extremely lucky to have dormice in Stock and I want to be sure they continue to thrive."
Mr Hart, who lives in Stock, is one of a group of dedicated volunteers with the Essex and Suffolk Dormouse Project.
After finding the dormice he contacted the People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the wood is now included in the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme, a long-term project to collate data nationally.
Excited He said evidence of the nocturnal creatures first came to light after survey tubes were placed in Swan Wood, which were later replaced with boxes for long-term monitoring.
Mr Hart added: "We were very excited to discover a total of 19 dormice in the boxes this year, suggesting there is a good population in the wood."
The name dormice is derived from the French word dormir, 'to sleep', and they spend most of their lives up in the trees.
During the winter they hibernate on the ground, sheltering under leaves and roots.
Mr Hart said: "Unlike other mice, which produce cheap ed hardy many large broods that rarely live long, dormice generally have a single, small brood in the summer which can live for five years."
Unfortunately dormice populations have suffered a serious decline in the past 25 years.
Mr Hart said that owing to the decline, dormice are strictly protected by law and you need a special licence to disturb them.
"We have conducted surveys in other parts of the county with no success, so this is an important find for Essex.
"It was very exciting to find them, a bit like finding buried treasure, but better."
Tiffanys HeartHealthy countryside Dormice are good indicators of a healthy countryside, added Mr Hart: "Conservation of this species has a positive effect on other flora and fauna and can even encourage the return of traditional woodland skills like coppicing which is already happening at Swan Wood."
Contact Essex Wildlife Trust at for details.
FACT FILE: The dormouse Dormice are found mainly in southern counties as far north as Herefordshire. However, they are occasionally recorded in the north and Wales but not found in Scotland They live in deciduous woodland Dormice are only about 4in long - with their tail taking up half that length The average adult weighs about the same as two Pounds 1 coins (17g) and up to 40g just before hibernation They live for about five years in the wild or six years in captivity They eat flowers, pollen, fruit, nuts and insects The word dormouse comes from the French word 'dormir', which means to sleep Around 100 years ago, dormice were widespread and often kept as pets, but their numbers have dwindled significantly
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