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Dormice are hard to find because they are small and nocturnal, so very few people are lucky enough to see them in the wild.
Dormice are a bright golden colour with a thick furry tail and big black eyes. They are quite small - about 70mm (2") long with a tail of similar length. Adults weigh around 17 - 20 grams (two £1) coins in the summer, but can fatten up to 40 grams just before hibernation.
The best way of finding out if dormice are using a wood or hedgerow is to look for hazel nutshells that they have opened to get at the nut inside. Dormice gnaw a neat round hole and leave characteristic tooth marks around the edge.
This is the basis of the Great Nut Hunt.
