As we move into the new year, it’s once again time to submit your dormouse survey data. There are several different reporting routes, depending on the type of work you’ve carried out, so we’ve put together the guidance below to help you submit the right information in the right place.
Licence return data – Natural England
If you hold a hazel dormouse disturbance licence (Class 1), you are required to submit a licence return to Natural England (NE) each January. This should include details of any actions taken under the licence during the 2025 survey season.
You’re also required to submit all dormouse records collected (including nil returns) to People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES).
Natural England has contacted licence holders in previous years to request this information, but it is unclear whether this has happened for 2025. You can access the NE licence return form here.
You will be asked to provide:
- your licence details
- whether any surveys were carried out
- which survey methods were used
- the names of any accredited agents who undertook surveys on your behalf
- confirmation that best practice guidance was followed
Additional information requested for 2025 surveys:
Natural England is also asking for additional information this year. PTES has not been consulted about what this data is being collected and used for, therefore if you have any questions relating to any of the below, please contact Natural England directly:
- the site location (10-figure Ordnance Survey grid reference and county). A 10-figure grid reference locates a single square metre, which is not particularly appropriate for dormouse surveys. We suggest using a site centroid grid reference.
- the start and end dates of the survey period (assumed to be during 2025)
- the purpose of the surveys, for example, National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (NDMP) surveys or post-mitigation monitoring
- the total number of hazel dormice captured or disturbed by each licensable method at each site
- the total number of dormice disturbed by the licensed individual over the 2025 season (nest boxes and nest tubes), per site
- the peak count of hazel dormice recorded during a single survey at each site
- the peak total number of dormice disturbed by the licensed individual over the 2025 season at each site
If you hold a Natural England dormouse licence, all dead dormice must be reported as part of your licence return. Where possible, carcasses should be submitted to Zoological Society of London (ZSL) for post-mortem examination using this form.
Licence return data – People’s Trust for Endangered Species
Once you have completed the Natural England licence return, please ensure that all dormouse records collected in 2025 (including nil returns) are also submitted to PTES.
National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (NDMP)
The total number of dormice at NDMP sites will already have been included within licence return data. However, please remember it is essential that full biometric data are also submitted separately to the NDMP database. NDMP data can be entered here.
National Dormouse Database
Individual dormouse records and anecdotal sightings can be submitted to the National Dormouse Database (NDD). Please ensure that supporting evidence is provided with all submissions.
Reporting negative survey results
Recent analysis undertaken for the Dormouse Conservation and Mitigation Handbooks has shown that different survey methods, and varying levels of survey effort, are associated with different probabilities of detection. As a result, negative survey results with known survey effort are also extremely valuable.
To support the collection of all dormouse survey data, PTES has set up the following reporting portals:
- Footprint tunnel survey data: If you have completed a dormouse survey using footprint tunnels, please submit your data here.
- Nest tube and nest box surveys (non-NDMP): If you have carried out nest tube or short-term nest box surveys outside the NDMP, please submit your data here. Negative results are just as important as positive records.
Header image credit Ruud Foppen