Do you want to get involved in some exciting small mammal ecology, encounter rare mammals and their sgns, and contribute to our knowledge of the distribution of small mammals in the UK?
Then this is for you!
The Mammal Society has introduced the National Small Mammal Monitoring Scheme(NSMMS) in 2009 to fill in the gaps in our knowledge about the distribution and abundance of small mammals in the British Isles. There was an urgent need to establish an ongoing multi-species monitoring programme that can provide long-term reliable data on small mammal population trends. The information we collect will inform sustainable land management and conservation decisions to help rescue small mammal populations in trouble, and continue to support and protect the rest.
The NSMMS is suitable for beginners and for those with experience of surveying and trapping; the scheme is for anyone and everyone interested in conserving our small mammal populations.
The 5 methods used are:
- The Harvest Mouse nest search - a simple search for harvest mouse nests to determine their presence
- The Field Vole signs search - the similar search for field vole signs of feeding, moving and nesting
- The Bait Tube method - collect faeces left as small mammals eat bait, which we send off for DNA analysis to identify the species
- Low Density live trapping - trap and identify small mammals before releasing them unharmed
- Intensive live trapping - as above but with more trapping sessions to capture more individuals
It runs twice a year, in Spring (from 1st April to 31st May) and Autumn (from 1st October to 30th November)
The next season is fast approaching, so contact us now to get your Survey Pack!
Please send a grid reference or post code to Laura at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll send you a choice of three random nearby sites for you to survey. Or, if you know more specifically which area you would like to survey, such as a reserve or farm you live or work on, send us the name and grid reference of the site and we'll designate it a Special Interest Site.
As with everything, this survey has inherent costs, especially the analysis of DNA collected in our popular Bait Tube method. At £7 per sample, it's not cheap, but we are determined to continue to lead the way in using DNA analysis to estimate small mammal populations.
Please help us continue this pioneering work by donating to the survey. Any amount is most gratefully received and it's so easy to donate online. Thank you!
