Over the weekend of 11th-13th August, a survey of small mammals was carried out by the Yorkshire Mammal Group, led by Ann Hanson and assisted by the Allerthorpe volunteer group. Sixty five Longworth traps were set on the Friday evening, filled with dry hay and a variety of suitable foodstuffs.
The traps were checked on Saturday morning. Six wood mice, one common shrew and a toad were caught. All the traps were left closed until the evening, when they were re-set for the night. On Sunday morning they were again checked and removed. The catch consisted of 10 wood mice, one common shrew and a toad. The shrew and toad were found in the same traps as the previous morning, so were most likely the same individuals.
The wood mice included large males, pregnant and lactating females and juveniles, indicating a healthy breeding population. The animals were sexed and weighed before release. The wood mice averaged about 25gms and the shrew a mere 7gms.
Allerthorpe Common
