HARVEST MOUSE (MICROMYS MINUTUS)
LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN

Action Completed! Action Completed! Action Completed! Action Completed! ACTION COMPLETED IN 2005

1. The North of England Zoological Society (NEZS) team and many volunteers, continued to monitor the two 2002 and 2003 release sites on NEZS land throughout 2005. Harvest Mice were found on both sites during 2004 and also into 2005. Nest searches were carried out in February and March 2005, and determined increased numbers of nests on the 2003 release site and over a wider range of the habitat.
2. Biota and Cheshire County Council continued to monitor the 2004 release site at Anderton Nature Park Northwich. The thesis documenting this release and the immediate post-release monitoring, including the radio-tracking of 20 individuals for twenty days, was published by John Crowder, as his third year undergraduate thesis from Liverpool John Moores University.
3. Both the Gatewarth and Pickerings Pasture release sites were monitored throughout 2004 and 2005, and the smallest site at Pickerings Pasture reports that no mice were found and it was presumed that they had disappeared or dispersed into adjacent habitat.
4. Analysis of data from the releases is on-going and a three-month contract is underway to write-up the radio-tracking and trapping reports.
5. Currently, the NEZS, the Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT) and the British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC) are validating, through extensive surveying, the sites identified as possibly containing harvest mice by the BASC Green Shoots Project of 2003.
6. Publicity and awareness raising continue to be major part of this project. Lectures, mice and display materials were taken to many local and regional events. Harvest mice and the release protocol were the subject of one section of Manchester Metropolitan University`s MSc course in Animal Management, Conservation and Breeding Unit in Spring 2005. Also, harvest mice on the Zoo`s sites featured in the 2005 `Springwatch` series with Bill Oddie.
7. There was on-going training of volunteers during the regular live mammal trapping sessions during 2004 and 2005, and dozens of students benefited from this.

Action Completed! Action Completed! Action Completed! Action Completed!

OBJECTIVES	LOCAL TARGETS
To monitor and record the status of Harvest Mice in Cheshire.	To encourage further recording of this species across the County
	To ensure accurate species identification and to verify those records already in existence where this has not already been achieved.
	Re-surveying of Cheshire sites where harvest mice have been historically recorded to determine whether they are still there, and to extend the sites to be surveyed in Cheshire.
To form a written protocol for use in the re-introduction of Harvest Mice around the world where and when needed.	Analyse data obtained during the 2002, 2003 and 2004 experimental releases.
	To write-up and publish the data obtained.
	IUCN Re-introduction Guidelines to be followed at all times and any releases must be co-ordinated by the BAP Action Group.
To maintain an active program of post-release monitoring to determine the survival and dispersal of this species post-release, and to record existing naturally-occurring mice.	Monthly live-mammal trapping sessions.
	Further data obtained in future monitoring of release will be used to refine the planned Re-introduction Protocol for the species.
	Spring nest searches.
Investigating habitat preference.	Vegetation recording to be used to monitor habitat choice in released animals where possible.
Investigating habitat preference.	Vegetation recording to obtain habitat choice information for naturally-occurring harvest mice in Cheshire.
To maintain and encourage further links with Agri-environmental schemes eg:	DEFRA - through extending the Countryside Stewardship Schemes where Harvest Mice feature.
	BASC - maintain inclusion of Harvest Mice in the `Green Shoots` survey.

CURRENT STATUS

The harvest mouse was once previously described as common and widespread throughout Britain occupying a wide range of habitats but favouring areas of tall, dense vegetation. It has always been more prevalent in southern counties. There is little known about the natural history, present status and distribution of the harvest mouse in the UK. The species is considered `Vulnerable` in the UK and `Endangered` and `Near-Endangered` in many parts of its vast worldwide range. Mitchell Jones (1996) believed the harvest mouse to be a species declining but widespread in England. In 1973 Stephen Harris of the Mammal Society carried out a study to establish the status and distribution of the harvest mouse in Britain and to collect data on its habitats requirements. In Vice County 58, 13 records of nests were recorded from 8, 10km grid squares by the end of 1977 (1205 records in the UK), a further 3, 10km grid squares contained pre-1960 records.

The species can easily pass undetected and is, therefore, vulnerable to under-recording. In May 1996 the Mammal Society carried out a "Harvest Mouse Tennis Ball" national survey at 13 sites within the UK with grids of 50 tennis balls. Only one of the tennis balls was occupied by a harvest mouse during the survey.

A survey of the County was carried out between September 1999 and March 2000, covering 125 potential sites. From those sites very limited evidence of harvest mice (either trapped or breeding) was found on these sites.

Records of harvest mouse on the rECOrd database as at 31/07/02 (red = post 1980, black = pre 1980):

THREATS

Agricultural practices (intensive farming methods - pesticides, crop rotation)
Habitat destruction - fragmentation, wetland draining
Lack of information and poor species identification - under-recording, and lack of knowledge of Harvest Mouse ecology
Extreme weather conditions - linked-in with a naturally occurring `boom & bust` ecology, the added problems of habitat destruction etc listed above focus this issue.

CURRENT ACTION

The Mammal Society has produced preliminary results of its 2-year (1996/7) follow-up survey of 800 sites where harvest mice were recorded in the 1970's.
The Cheshire Mammal Group are actively involved in the captive breeding programme. Several members of the Group are carrying out surveys of their local sites, such as Gateworth and Pickering's Pasture to determine the existence of harvest mice. Data about other small mammal species is being collected in the process.
Data analysis: On going analysis of trapping records for 2002 and 2003. All records are being sent through to `rECOrd`.
Raising awareness of this species in Cheshire. Eg. through attendance at Cheshire Mammal Group Meetings, Cheshire Wildlife Trust`s `Only One Earth` exhibition, talks to other natural history groups, and through extensive press and television coverage such as BBC`s `Countryfile` Programme on Sunday 29 June 2003.

ACTION REQUIRED IN 2006+

Complete data analysis and produce final protocol for release – that could be used to guide reintroductions anywhere across the range of this species should they ever become necessary.
Continue to survey BASC sites and any other reported Harvest Mouse sites in Cheshire
Continue to monitor 2003 and 2004 release sites
Maintain sustainable captive population of Harvest Mice at Chester Zoo
Continue with public awareness work

ACTION COMPLETED PREVIOUSLY

Training for volunteers in live mammal trapping techniques.
County-wide 1999-2000 survey completed.
Experimental release of 170 harvest mice into 2 sites in Cheshire during 2002.
100 Harvest Mice released onto the Gatewarth Site, Warrington in May 2003 in conjunction with Warrington Borough Council. These mice were bred at the Zoo, had their veterinary screening undertaken and were micro-chipped by the Zoo`s veterinary team.
270 Harvest Mice were released onto Zoo land adjacent to the Shropshire Union Canal in Upton-by-Chester in mid-June 2003. The aim of the project is to establish a re-introduction protocol for this species, which can be used world wide as and when required. These mice were released in a 50:50 sex ratio and a 50:50 `hard` versus `soft` release experiment, and in addition 20 animals (10 males and 10 females, 10 hard released and 10 soft released) were radio-collared and tracked for a period of 20 days, 24 hours per day, post release. This was to determine survival, dispersal and habitat choice.
Extensive pre-release monitoring, at the release site, through live mammal trapping, was undertaken in accordance with the IUCN Guidelines for re-introduction. In addition pre-release veterinary health screening - both of Zoo mice and the indigenous small mammals in the release area was carried out by the Zoo`s veterinary team. All mice were micro-chipped for individual identification prior to release. A vegetation mapping exercise was carried out prior to release and will continue throughout the year to assess the habitat. Apart from the radio-tracking, live mammal trapping began three weeks after the release and this form of post-release monitoring will continue throughout the year at 4 to 5 weekly intervals.
Post-release monitoring continued in 2003 at and around the two (Zoo and Pickering`s Pasture) release sites used in 2002.
The Harvest Mouse Project has linked in to information provided by BASC`s species survey of 2002 and several potential harvest mice locations have yet to be investigated.
Training: Several interested individuals have been trained in trapping techniques (20+), nest surveys (10+), radio-tracking techniques (12+) and husbandry techniques (100+).
Partnership Agreement between major participants in the captive breeding for experimental release.
2004 release at Anderton Nature Park, Northwich. This was carried out following the protocol established in previous experimental releases:
- extensive small mammal survey work prior to release
- approx. 400 animals released (17& 19 th June) using ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ release techniques
- 20 animals radio tracked for 21 days from release date
- regular post release monitoring
Continued monitoring of 2002 and 2003 release sites throughout 2004.
Survey work initiated in 2004 at several possible Harvest Mouse sites identified by BASC Green Shoots project.
Publicity and awareness raising in 2004 included mice and display materials taken to many local and regional events including Wrexham Science Fair and Chester One World Day and talks given to local and national groups.
The analysis of data from releases is ongoing.

ACTUAL LBAP IMPLEMENTERS

BASC	Halton Borough Council	rECOrd
Biota	International Union of Conservation and Nature (IUCN)	Staffordshire University
Cheshire County Council (Anderton Nature Park)	Liverpool Museum	University of Liverpool Leahurst Veterinary Field Station
Cheshire Mammal Group	Mersey Forest (Funding for the Gatewarth element of the experimental release project)	Volunteers (Breeding mice and trapping and recording, including Friends of Anderton and Marbury)
Cheshire Wildlife Trust	North of England Zoological Society	Warrington Borough Council
DEFRA (Countryside Stewardship)	Reaseheath College

OTHER POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTERS

FWAG

Landowners

Universities and Colleges

CONTACT

Penny Rudd, Chester Zoo
phone 01244 650215

REFERENCES

Harris, S. (1979): History, distribution and habitat requirements of the Harvest Mouse in Britain, Mammal Review, Volume 9, No. 4, 159-171.
Mitchell-Jones, A.J. (1996): Mammal in England, a conservation action priority list, English Nature No.26

Date compiled - 1998
Date reviewed - 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005