Fur clipping as a method for identification in the hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius: how reliable is it for monthly monitoring?

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Hazel Joanne Ryan, Stephen David Langton, Nida Al-Fulaij This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6297986/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 04 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in European Journal of Wildlife Research → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Fur clipping is a non-invasive method, widely used for marking small mammals to enable them to be individually recognised. Individual identification can be important to estimate minimum population size and home range and to measure survival and movement between captures. Social interactions and breeding, such as frequency of litters, may also be studied. Clipping of the guard hairs to reveal the darker underfur is generally accepted as an ethical and non-invasive procedure and only requires a Natural England level 2 survey licence in the United Kingdom. Less training and resources are needed than for invasive methods such as passive integrated transponders. However, it is unclear how long fur clip marks persist. In this study, 18 captive hazel dormice ( Muscardinus avellanarius) were used to measure the longevity of fur clips on three different body positions; shoulder, side and rump, during the active season and over winter. The dormice were examined, photographed and their fur re-clipped on one side at regular intervals within the monthly monitoring period (April to November) of the UK National Dormouse Monitoring Programme. Significant variation in hair regrowth between individuals was found. There was a 71% chance of a patch clipped just once being visible the following month, but a 90% chance for patches that had been re-clipped at least once. On persistence of the first clip, there was no significant difference between age groups but the differences between sexes and body positions were almost significant. Patches re-clipped in autumn could all be detected in spring, post hibernation. individual identification marking longevity small mammals non-invasive capture-mark-recapture Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Introduction The hazel dormouse is thought to have become extinct in 20 counties in the United Kingdom (UK) during the 20th century (Wembridge et al. 2023 ) due to habitat loss, fragmentation and changes to habitat management (Bright & Morris 1996 ). Reintroductions have taken place in six of these counties and the species received full legal protection under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). It is listed as Vulnerable to extinction on the Great Britain Red List (Mathews and Harrower 2020 ). There is an argument, however, for reclassification as Endangered, due to an ongoing long-term decline in numbers of adult dormice recorded in the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (NDMP) of 78% over 27 years (1994–2020) (Scopes et al. 2023 ). The NDMP has been monitoring Muscardinus avellanarius populations in the UK since 1988. Licensed volunteers usually check wooden nest boxes once per month during the active season and collect biometric data such as age class, sex, breeding condition and weight. In 2023, 289 volunteers surveyed 376 registered sites. Some volunteers mark the dormice that they encounter using fur clipping or passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging; both methods requiring licences from Natural England or Natural Resources Wales. Individual identification of marked animals enables population size, distribution, dispersal, home range and lifespan to be studied (Lebreton et al ( 1992 ); Schwarz and Sieber (1999); Combe et al. 2022 ). Individual behaviour, social interactions and life history traits, such as frequency of litters, may also be examined. A survey of experts’ choice of marking methods used in capture-mark-recapture studies of small mammals by Jung et al (2019) concluded that “ more published studies on the efficacy and impact of various small mammal marking methods are needed to help researchers assess the costs and benefits of choosing a marking method ”. Alternative methods which have been used to mark hazel dormice include ear tattooing (Sevianu et al. 2023 ), toe clipping and leg ringing (Juškaitis 2008 ). None of these methods are currently licensed in the UK. Ear tattoos may cause trauma in small rodents (Lindner and Fuelling 2002). The risk of associated injury to rodents from ringing has been known for many years (Fullagar 1965 ). Toe clipping may cause pain and infection (Klabukov et al. 2023 ). PIT tagging has been used for hazel dormouse research in Europe and the UK (Mortelliti et al. 2014 ; Trout et al. 2017 ; Findlay-Robinson and Hill 2024 ). However, this is an invasive technique which requires specialist training and more expensive equipment. The implanted tags may cause inflammation, tumours or rejection from the body (Lapp et al. 2018 ; Castelhano-Carlos 2010). Fur clipping is a straightforward, non-invasive method that requires minimal training and resources. Freshly clipped fur patches in hazel dormice are readily discernible due to the high contrast in colour between the golden-brown coloured guard hairs and the dark underfur. According to Bright et al. ( 2006 ) clip marks “ often remain visible for many months ”. The method has been used in the UK for short term research where boxes were checked at between 2 and 4 weekly intervals (Bright et al. 1996 ). However, Bright and Morris ( 1991 ) had difficulty in recognising some recaptured fur clipped individuals during radiotracking sessions at intervals of 28–60 days. Benton et al. ( 2024 ) found that detectability of fur clips on European badgers ( Meles meles ) fell to 50% after three months from first application on adults and 50% within three weeks on cubs. However, Stewart and MacDonald ( 2009 ) found that 80% of clips made in August on badgers remained visible for nine months. The authors are unaware of any similar studies in dormice. This study aimed to measure how long fur clips remain visible to determine if fur clipping can be used to continuously identify individuals by marking animals encountered at each monthly NDMP check. Materials and methods This study used 21 dormice held in captivity at the Wildwood Trust, Kent, UK as part of a licensed breeding programme, coordinated by the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group. The dormice are housed in outdoor mesh enclosures situated in a broadleaved woodland to mimic natural weather conditions, either singly, in breeding pairs, parents with young of the year or in small same sex groups. Standard wooden nest boxes, as used in the NDMP, are provided for nesting and a substrate of soil, leaf mould and leaves encourages natural hibernation. The exception was one male dormouse that was housed indoors, in a large glass aquarium, to enable health monitoring. Table 1 shows weather conditions during the study period, recorded by the Met Office ( 2025 ) at Manston weather station, located 15.25km from the breeding site. Table 1 Monthly weather recorded at Manston. tmax = mean daily maximum temperature, tmin = mean daily minimum temperature, af = days of air frost, rain = total rainfall, sun = total sunshine hours. Data are indicated as provisional until the full network quality control has been carried out (Met Office 2025 ). Year Month tmax (°C) tmin (°C) af (days) rain (mm) Sun (hours) 2023 July 21.9 13.6 0 82.0 184.1 August 21.6 13.7 0 50.2 220.5 September 22.7 14.4 0 19.2 172.6 October 18.0 10.8 0 111.2 129.0 November 11.3 5.6 1 113.0 96.8 December 10.3 5.7 1 61.8 37.9 2024 January 7.7 2.9 6 43.0 88.3 provisional February 11.3 5.8 0 92.2 59.8 provisional March 11.7 6.1 0 49.8 103.7 provisional April 13.9 6.9 0 60.2 157.7 provisional May 17.2 10.2 0 55.6 195.1 provisional June 19.6 10.8 0 10.8 235.9 provisional July 21.6 13.8 0 43.0 201.1 provisional NDMP nest box monitoring in the wild is carried out once each month within a set 10-day period, resulting in an interval ranging from 20 to 40 days between successive checks. Captive dormice are handled for health and welfare checking approximately monthly. Fur clipping of 18 adult (nine male and nine female) and three juvenile dormice (two male and one female) was carried out during these regular checks, ensuring it was within the same interval as the NDMP. 50% of the individuals were wild born and 50% captive bred. Each animal was fur clipped in one position: shoulder, side or rump (Fig. 1 ), on both sides of the spine. Curved nail scissors were used to reduce the risk of accidental injury caused by sharp tips touching the skin. A patch of guard hairs, approximately 16mm 2 , was removed to reveal the darker underfur. The remaining underfur was around 1-2mm in length. Edges of the patch were clipped as straight as possible to help differentiate the cut patch from fur loss that might result from territorial behaviour, an accident, humidity changes, ectoparasites or overgrooming. One side was re-clipped monthly. The other side was left for the fur to grow. Clip positions and the side to be re-clipped were randomly selected. Photographs of the clip patches were taken on each check, before and after clipping. Each clip patch was assigned a visibility level; CV (clearly visible), PV (partially visible, some fur regrowth but likely to be detected during a survey) or NV (not visible, i.e. all or most fur regrown and not obvious enough to be detected as a fur clip during a survey) (Fig. 2 ). The study period ran from July 2023 to July 2024, but three juveniles left the study site in April 2023 in preparation for release. Five females and two males, all aged between four and seven years, died or were euthanised on animal welfare grounds between October 2023 and May 2024. The reasons for this were a liver tumour (2), liver cysts (1), urinary obstruction (1), end of life organ failure (1), osteoarthritis (1) and unknown (1). Four of these females were moved into indoor housing for monitoring or veterinary treatment for all or part of the hibernation period (October to April). One male was housed indoors for the entire survey period. Individuals were grouped into 3 age classes (Table 2 ). Table 2 Number of individuals of each sex in each age class 0–1 (juveniles and yearlings), 2–4 (animals of breeding age) and 5–7 (individuals that have reached or exceeded the known lifespan in the wild in the UK and may be post-breeding). Age class in years Sex 0–1 2–4 5–7 Male 3 4 4 Female 2 4 4 Statistical analysis used mixed models with a random term for animal, in order to allow for any differences between animals in fur regrowth. Mixed logistic regression models were used for the proportion of patches that were visible (both CV only, and CV or PV), whilst Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) models were used for a visibility score, calculated as 1 for CV, 0.5 for PV and 0 for NV (Welham et al. 2014 ). Both models produced similar results and so just the visibility score models are reported here. Sex, body position and age class were compared both for patches that were clipped just once and those clipped monthly. The number of days until the clipped patch ceased to be visible was calculated for each individual. Patches that remained CV or PV throughout the study period were assumed to remain visible for 30 days after the final check. All statistical analyses used Genstat, Release 23 (VSN International, 2023 ). Results After first ‘monthly’ check (26–44 days) There was highly significant variation in visibility after one month between individuals ( X 2 (1, N = 19) = 9.29, p < .01). More than a quarter of fur clips on males were NV after one month, whereas in females all were PV or CV. However, after allowing for between animal variation there is no significant difference between visibility after one month between the sexes ( F (1,12) = 0.94, p = .351). It was not possible to group juveniles into a separate age class due to the small sample size. Differences between age groups are also not statistically significant ( F (2,12) p = .954). The rump position appears to be more visible than the side or shoulder, but the difference is not statistically significant ( F (2,12) = 1.09, p = .367). When visibility is plotted against number of days since clipping for patches clipped only once (Fig. 3 ), a logistic regression curve fitted to log-transformed times shows that there is a 71% chance that a patch clipped once will be visible (CV or PV) after one month and a 47% chance that it will be CV. Both curves show a statistically significant decline over time (slope = 1.92, SE = 0.65, p = .002 for CV or PV, slope = 3.06, SE = 1.01, p < .001 for CV). The probability of being visible (CV or PV) dropped to 58% after two months. By the following spring (post hibernation) the probability that it will be visible (CV or PV) is 25% and CV is close to zero. Monthly re-clipping Figure 4 shows visibility against days since clipping of patches repeatedly clipped at each health check, approximately monthly. Curves fitted by logistic regression using log-transformed times show that there is only a gradual, non-significant decline in the proportion of patches that are visible (CV or PV, slope = 0.96, SE = 1.11, p = .375). There is a more marked decline in the proportion that are completely visible, but the slope is still not significantly different to zero (slope = 1.37, SE = 0.78, p = .071). There is a close to significant difference between sexes with monthly clipping, with higher visibility apparent in females ( F = 3.75(1,73), p = .057). Variation between individuals is smaller when patches are re-clipped monthly than when clipped just once. Patches that were clipped monthly remained visible for significantly longer than those clipped just once. (F(1,20) = 5.28, p = .033). 90% were visible after 1 month and 87% visible after 2 months (Fig. 5 A). On average, clip patches on females appeared to remain visible for longer than on males but it was not quite statistically significant (Fig. 5 B, F(1,19) = 3.67, p = .071). The rump appeared to be the best position for long term visibility, followed by the shoulder, then the side. However, this difference was almost significant (Fig. 5 C, F(2,18) = 2.92, p = .080). There was no significant difference between the age groups on persistence of the first clip (Fig. 5 D, F(2,18) = 1.56, p = .237). Fur regrowth appeared to occur at different rates on each side of the body in some individuals. No significant seasonal difference was found between fur regrowth rates. All animals reclipped in autumn (September or October) had visible patches post hibernation (April). Discussion The results of this study show that fur clipping can be a useful, non-invasive technique to identify individual hazel dormice but is most effective when individuals are encountered and re-clipped on a monthly basis as re-clipping of patches increases the visibility. The method cannot be relied on for all individuals in a population as some animals are not encountered every month and there is highly significant variation in fur regrowth between individual animals. This variation makes it more difficult to prove differences between sex, body position and age in this small sample size. This concurs with Wang et al. ( 2023 ) who found that localised waves of hair growth in laboratory mice differed between individuals, even littermates of the same sex. In this small trial, the rump appears to be the most reliable position for long term visibility. This could be due to slower fur regrowth of this area of the body or alternatively due to the ease of the surveyor to access and clip this area. During clipping of the rump, the head and shoulder area can be covered with the researcher’s hand, causing the animal to become calm and less active. Also, the rump skin tension appears higher and its smooth, even surface has no obstructions as opposed to the shoulder area where the bones can be felt and the ears are close by. Side position appears to be least reliable, perhaps because the fur appears shorter in this area and it is more difficult to clip here whilst restraining an active individual (pers.obs.). Underwood and Reynolds ( 1980 ) showed that, in the arctic fox ( Alopex lagopus ), considerable body site-specific variation exists in fur length, with seasonal increases on areas of the body exposed when the animal lies in a curled position. The rate of fur regrowth is likely to be affected by seasonal moulting in dormice, which has not been investigated extensively and contradictory data exists. Timing of moulting is expected to differ with geographical latitude as this influences the start and end of hibernation (Juškaitis and Büchner 2013 ). According to Juškaitis and Büchner, Homolka suggested two moults in adult dormice in northern Moravia; one in June and July and another in August and September, but Sidorowicz recorded earlier spring moulting, just after hibernation in Poland. Kahman (in Juškaitis and Büchner 2013 ) observed that juvenile dormice in the German Alps appear to moult at around 38 days of age. Stewart and Macdonald ( 2009 ) found that yearling badgers in England also moult significantly earlier than adults. In our investigation, no significant differences were detected between age groups, however, only three young of the year were available. Anecdotal observations by the author, in both captive and wild dormice, suggest that clips in juveniles lose visibility more quickly. Benton et al. ( 2024 ) found that badger cubs were more likely to receive smaller, shallower fur clips than adults as effective restraint is more challenging due to smaller size and, anecdotally, cubs tend to exhibit more agitated behaviour. Differences in visibility between sexes were not significant but fur regrowth might be expected to be slower in pregnant or lactating females as oestrogens have been shown to have a strong influence on the hair growth cycle in mice (Plikus and Chuong, 2008 ). Juskaitis (2008) also observed a delay until October in moulting of late breeding adult female hazel dormice. This has also been recorded in badgers that have lactated (Stewart and Macdonald, 2009 ). This research found that individuals re-clipped in autumn can still be identified in spring, post-hibernation, enabling individuals to be tracked for more than one year. Conclusions and Recommendations This study showed that fur clipping of hazel dormice can be used to identify individuals that are regularly encountered at a monitoring site. The high persistence of clip patches from autumn to spring allows individuals to be followed from one year to the next. The small sample size and high variation between individuals made it difficult to detect differences between sexes, body position and age. We recommend repeating this study with a larger sample size, particularly of young of the year. Seasonality of fur regrowth could be further investigated by repeating the study with clipping beginning at different months of the year. A captive diet, where food is freely available year-round, might affect fur regrowth rates. It would be useful to repeat the study in a wild population. An investigation of the timing of seasonal moulting in the UK would also be helpful. Declarations Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Dr Pat Morris for advice and Prof. Debbie Bartlett and Prof. Richard Griffiths for comments on the manuscript draft. Author contributions H.J.R., S.D.L and N.A. conceptualised and designed the study. H.J.R. conducted the fur clipping and collected the data. S.D.L. performed the data analysis. H.R. prepared the initial manuscript draft. H.J.R., S.D.L and N.A. contributed to the manuscript revision and approved the final version for submission. Data availability The dataset used in the current study is available from the corresponding author on request. Ethics approval and consent to participate The ethics of the project was approved by the Wildwood Trust ethical review committee. Data collection was carried out during regular dormouse health checks to avoid causing additional disturbance. Handling and fur clipping is permitted under a level 2 class licence held by the corresponding author and a dormouse possession licence held by the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group, both issued by Natural England. As a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Wildwood Trust complies with its research and animal welfare policies. It also adheres to the UK Government Secretary of State’s standards of modern zoo practice. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Funding This study was funded by Wildwood Trust and People’s Trust for Endangered Species. References Benton CH, Griffiths AL, Delahay RJ (2024) Performance of fur clips and livestock markers for identifying vaccinated badgers. Eur J Wildl Res 70:39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-024-01789-0 Bright PW, Morris PA (1991) Ranging and nesting behaviour of the dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius , in coppice-with-standards woodland. 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Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 04 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in European Journal of Wildlife Research → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 12 May, 2025 Reviews received at journal 10 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 02 May, 2025 Reviews received at journal 29 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 28 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 28 Apr, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 27 Apr, 2025 First submitted to journal 24 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6297986","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":450592800,"identity":"e52b47e9-a310-4bd5-9eda-5777a6dd5021","order_by":0,"name":"Hazel Joanne Ryan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA70lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAxDxoIKBh48hAchiI1ZLwhkGHjaIFhCfmQgtiW0g84nVYs5+/OGDxHmHZdjYcwwffCj7k29w/vwBho97anFqsexJSDZI3HaYh43njbHhjHMGlhtuJDMwznh2HLfDDiQck0jcdpuHTSJ3mzRvm4GBwQ1mBmaeA8dwazn/sP1H4hxkLecPE9ByI5mNIbEBWcuBZJCWGjxanjFLJBz7D/TL+89AvxgbSN5INjg448ABPA5Lf/jhQ02aPT97WiIwxOQM+M4ffPjgw4E6nFqwA6AVh0nUAgSk2jIKRsEoGAXDGAAAlZdXc0TeuOAAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Wildwood Trust","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hazel","middleName":"Joanne","lastName":"Ryan","suffix":""},{"id":450592801,"identity":"5adbf49a-48c8-4b92-b250-55de1b31d1f0","order_by":1,"name":"Stephen David Langton","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Steve Langton Statistical Consultancy","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Stephen","middleName":"David","lastName":"Langton","suffix":""},{"id":450592802,"identity":"35ad08d9-7bd4-4f93-8bbf-81334dcd5ae4","order_by":2,"name":"Nida Al-Fulaij","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"People's Trust for Endangered Species","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nida","middleName":"","lastName":"Al-Fulaij","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-03-24 19:23:19","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6297986/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6297986/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-025-02015-1","type":"published","date":"2025-11-04T15:57:43+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":81826820,"identity":"717abaed-5e09-4d05-befc-c56997414aec","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-02 12:47:19","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":792352,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eExamples of fur clips in each body position\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6297986/v1/626c163aa83291f9417dfd8e.png"},{"id":81826825,"identity":"6ebbc029-5177-406d-bacb-d9132f05d03e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-02 12:47:19","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":455499,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eExamples of fur clips showing three visibility levels\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6297986/v1/b6f630e41044726677a5acf6.png"},{"id":81826821,"identity":"66c0861b-ae46-4960-96e3-3e8178f43836","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-02 12:47:19","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":54165,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eVisibility score of patches clipped only once against time. Curves show probability of CV (solid line) and probability of either CV or PV (dashed line)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6297986/v1/2a4a1eabc138af5c4f4b09e3.png"},{"id":81826822,"identity":"3dc24d3c-e0f8-4e48-a571-63575286c7c3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-02 12:47:19","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":29190,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eVisibility score of patches clipped monthly against time. Curves show probability of CV (solid line) and probability of either CV or PV (dashed line)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6297986/v1/b9e105b47dd51164bee011e7.png"},{"id":81826823,"identity":"1249b698-ead3-4e3b-9ba6-99a554c31607","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-02 12:47:19","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":63152,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eComparison of time in days taken for fur clips to become not visible (NV) (+/-standard error); \u003cstrong\u003eA\u003c/strong\u003e between once clipped and monthly re-clipped patches, \u003cstrong\u003eB\u003c/strong\u003e between sexes, \u003cstrong\u003eC\u003c/strong\u003ebetween body positions and \u003cstrong\u003eD\u003c/strong\u003e between three age classes\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6297986/v1/912f30acb8bb8e7510bf1687.png"},{"id":95564075,"identity":"b5b60c26-7efc-4128-8295-9d49ee1ec5d9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-10 16:07:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2542241,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6297986/v1/8281b4e8-bf79-4c2d-9ff9-caa1c71f4fc9.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Fur clipping as a method for identification in the hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius: how reliable is it for monthly monitoring?","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe hazel dormouse is thought to have become extinct in 20 counties in the United Kingdom (UK) during the 20th century (Wembridge et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) due to habitat loss, fragmentation and changes to habitat management (Bright \u0026amp; Morris \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e). Reintroductions have taken place in six of these counties and the species received full legal protection under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). It is listed as Vulnerable to extinction on the Great Britain Red List (Mathews and Harrower \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). There is an argument, however, for reclassification as Endangered, due to an ongoing long-term decline in numbers of adult dormice recorded in the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (NDMP) of 78% over 27 years (1994\u0026ndash;2020) (Scopes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe NDMP has been monitoring \u003cem\u003eMuscardinus avellanarius\u003c/em\u003e populations in the UK since 1988. Licensed volunteers usually check wooden nest boxes once per month during the active season and collect biometric data such as age class, sex, breeding condition and weight. In 2023, 289 volunteers surveyed 376 registered sites. Some volunteers mark the dormice that they encounter using fur clipping or passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging; both methods requiring licences from Natural England or Natural Resources Wales. Individual identification of marked animals enables population size, distribution, dispersal, home range and lifespan to be studied (Lebreton et al (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1992\u003c/span\u003e); Schwarz and Sieber (1999); Combe et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Individual behaviour, social interactions and life history traits, such as frequency of litters, may also be examined. A survey of experts\u0026rsquo; choice of marking methods used in capture-mark-recapture studies of small mammals by Jung et al (2019) concluded that \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003emore published studies on the efficacy and impact of various small mammal marking methods are needed to help researchers assess the costs and benefits of choosing a marking method\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlternative methods which have been used to mark hazel dormice include ear tattooing (Sevianu et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), toe clipping and leg ringing (Juškaitis \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). None of these methods are currently licensed in the UK. Ear tattoos may cause trauma in small rodents (Lindner and Fuelling 2002). The risk of associated injury to rodents from ringing has been known for many years (Fullagar \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1965\u003c/span\u003e). Toe clipping may cause pain and infection (Klabukov et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). PIT tagging has been used for hazel dormouse research in Europe and the UK (Mortelliti et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Trout et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Findlay-Robinson and Hill \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). However, this is an invasive technique which requires specialist training and more expensive equipment. The implanted tags may cause inflammation, tumours or rejection from the body (Lapp et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Castelhano-Carlos 2010).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFur clipping is a straightforward, non-invasive method that requires minimal training and resources. Freshly clipped fur patches in hazel dormice are readily discernible due to the high contrast in colour between the golden-brown coloured guard hairs and the dark underfur. According to Bright et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e) clip marks \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eoften remain visible for many months\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rdquo;. The method has been used in the UK for short term research where boxes were checked at between 2 and 4 weekly intervals (Bright et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e). However, Bright and Morris (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e) had difficulty in recognising some recaptured fur clipped individuals during radiotracking sessions at intervals of 28\u0026ndash;60 days. Benton et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) found that detectability of fur clips on European badgers (\u003cem\u003eMeles meles\u003c/em\u003e) fell to 50% after three months from first application on adults and 50% within three weeks on cubs. However, Stewart and MacDonald (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e) found that 80% of clips made in August on badgers remained visible for nine months. The authors are unaware of any similar studies in dormice.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to measure how long fur clips remain visible to determine if fur clipping can be used to continuously identify individuals by marking animals encountered at each monthly NDMP check.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study used 21 dormice held in captivity at the Wildwood Trust, Kent, UK as part of a licensed breeding programme, coordinated by the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group. The dormice are housed in outdoor mesh enclosures situated in a broadleaved woodland to mimic natural weather conditions, either singly, in breeding pairs, parents with young of the year or in small same sex groups. Standard wooden nest boxes, as used in the NDMP, are provided for nesting and a substrate of soil, leaf mould and leaves encourages natural hibernation. The exception was one male dormouse that was housed indoors, in a large glass aquarium, to enable health monitoring. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e shows weather conditions during the study period, recorded by the Met Office (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) at Manston weather station, located 15.25km from the breeding site.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonthly weather recorded at Manston. tmax\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;mean daily maximum temperature, tmin\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;mean daily minimum temperature, af\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;days of air frost, rain\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;total rainfall, sun\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;total sunshine hours. Data are indicated as provisional until the full network quality control has been carried out (Met Office \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYear\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003etmax (\u0026deg;C)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003etmin (\u0026deg;C)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eaf (days)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003erain (mm)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSun\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(hours)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJuly\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e82.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e184.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAugust\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e 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\u003cp\u003e129.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNovember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e113.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e96.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecember\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2024\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJanuary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e88.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eprovisional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFebruary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eprovisional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarch\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e103.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eprovisional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eApril\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e157.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eprovisional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMay\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e195.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eprovisional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJune\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e235.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eprovisional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJuly\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e201.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eprovisional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNDMP nest box monitoring in the wild is carried out once each month within a set 10-day period, resulting in an interval ranging from 20 to 40 days between successive checks. Captive dormice are handled for health and welfare checking approximately monthly. Fur clipping of 18 adult (nine male and nine female) and three juvenile dormice (two male and one female) was carried out during these regular checks, ensuring it was within the same interval as the NDMP. 50% of the individuals were wild born and 50% captive bred.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEach animal was fur clipped in one position: shoulder, side or rump (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), on both sides of the spine. Curved nail scissors were used to reduce the risk of accidental injury caused by sharp tips touching the skin. A patch of guard hairs, approximately 16mm\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e, was removed to reveal the darker underfur. The remaining underfur was around 1-2mm in length. Edges of the patch were clipped as straight as possible to help differentiate the cut patch from fur loss that might result from territorial behaviour, an accident, humidity changes, ectoparasites or overgrooming. One side was re-clipped monthly. The other side was left for the fur to grow. Clip positions and the side to be re-clipped were randomly selected.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhotographs of the clip patches were taken on each check, before and after clipping. Each clip patch was assigned a visibility level; CV (clearly visible), PV (partially visible, some fur regrowth but likely to be detected during a survey) or NV (not visible, i.e. all or most fur regrown and not obvious enough to be detected as a fur clip during a survey) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study period ran from July 2023 to July 2024, but three juveniles left the study site in April 2023 in preparation for release. Five females and two males, all aged between four and seven years, died or were euthanised on animal welfare grounds between October 2023 and May 2024. The reasons for this were a liver tumour (2), liver cysts (1), urinary obstruction (1), end of life organ failure (1), osteoarthritis (1) and unknown (1). Four of these females were moved into indoor housing for monitoring or veterinary treatment for all or part of the hibernation period (October to April). One male was housed indoors for the entire survey period. Individuals were grouped into 3 age classes (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of individuals of each sex in each age class 0\u0026ndash;1 (juveniles and yearlings), 2\u0026ndash;4 (animals of breeding age) and 5\u0026ndash;7 (individuals that have reached or exceeded the known lifespan in the wild in the UK and may be post-breeding).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge class in years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u0026ndash;1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u0026ndash;4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u0026ndash;7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical analysis used mixed models with a random term for animal, in order to allow for any differences between animals in fur regrowth. Mixed logistic regression models were used for the proportion of patches that were visible (both CV only, and CV or PV), whilst Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) models were used for a visibility score, calculated as 1 for CV, 0.5 for PV and 0 for NV (Welham et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Both models produced similar results and so just the visibility score models are reported here. Sex, body position and age class were compared both for patches that were clipped just once and those clipped monthly. The number of days until the clipped patch ceased to be visible was calculated for each individual. Patches that remained CV or PV throughout the study period were assumed to remain visible for 30 days after the final check. All statistical analyses used Genstat, Release 23 (VSN International, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAfter first \u0026lsquo;monthly\u0026rsquo; check (26\u0026ndash;44 days)\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere was highly significant variation in visibility after one month between individuals (\u003cem\u003eX\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u003cem\u003e2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e (1,\u003cem\u003eN\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;19)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.29, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.01). More than a quarter of fur clips on males were NV after one month, whereas in females all were PV or CV. However, after allowing for between animal variation there is no significant difference between visibility after one month between the sexes (\u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e(1,12)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.94, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.351). It was not possible to group juveniles into a separate age class due to the small sample size. Differences between age groups are also not statistically significant (\u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e(2,12) \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.954). The rump position appears to be more visible than the side or shoulder, but the difference is not statistically significant (\u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e(2,12)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.09, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.367).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen visibility is plotted against number of days since clipping for patches clipped only once (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e), a logistic regression curve fitted to log-transformed times shows that there is a 71% chance that a patch clipped once will be visible (CV or PV) after one month and a 47% chance that it will be CV. Both curves show a statistically significant decline over time (slope\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.92, \u003cem\u003eSE\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.65, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.002 for CV or PV, slope\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.06, \u003cem\u003eSE\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.01, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001 for CV). The probability of being visible (CV or PV) dropped to 58% after two months. By the following spring (post hibernation) the probability that it will be visible (CV or PV) is 25% and CV is close to zero.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMonthly re-clipping\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e shows visibility against days since clipping of patches repeatedly clipped at each health check, approximately monthly. Curves fitted by logistic regression using log-transformed times show that there is only a gradual, non-significant decline in the proportion of patches that are visible (CV or PV, slope\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.96, \u003cem\u003eSE\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.11, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.375). There is a more marked decline in the proportion that are completely visible, but the slope is still not significantly different to zero (slope\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.37, \u003cem\u003eSE\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.78, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.071).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere is a close to significant difference between sexes with monthly clipping, with higher visibility apparent in females (\u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.75(1,73), \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.057). Variation between individuals is smaller when patches are re-clipped monthly than when clipped just once.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePatches that were clipped monthly remained visible for significantly longer than those clipped just once. (F(1,20)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.28, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.033). 90% were visible after 1 month and 87% visible after 2 months (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003eA). On average, clip patches on females appeared to remain visible for longer than on males but it was not quite statistically significant (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003eB, F(1,19)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.67, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.071). The rump appeared to be the best position for long term visibility, followed by the shoulder, then the side. However, this difference was almost significant (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003eC, F(2,18)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.92, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.080). There was no significant difference between the age groups on persistence of the first clip (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003eD, F(2,18)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.56, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.237). Fur regrowth appeared to occur at different rates on each side of the body in some individuals. No significant seasonal difference was found between fur regrowth rates. All animals reclipped in autumn (September or October) had visible patches post hibernation (April).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe results of this study show that fur clipping can be a useful, non-invasive technique to identify individual hazel dormice but is most effective when individuals are encountered and re-clipped on a monthly basis as re-clipping of patches increases the visibility. The method cannot be relied on for all individuals in a population as some animals are not encountered every month and there is highly significant variation in fur regrowth between individual animals. This variation makes it more difficult to prove differences between sex, body position and age in this small sample size. This concurs with Wang et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) who found that localised waves of hair growth in laboratory mice differed between individuals, even littermates of the same sex.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this small trial, the rump appears to be the most reliable position for long term visibility. This could be due to slower fur regrowth of this area of the body or alternatively due to the ease of the surveyor to access and clip this area. During clipping of the rump, the head and shoulder area can be covered with the researcher\u0026rsquo;s hand, causing the animal to become calm and less active. Also, the rump skin tension appears higher and its smooth, even surface has no obstructions as opposed to the shoulder area where the bones can be felt and the ears are close by. Side position appears to be least reliable, perhaps because the fur appears shorter in this area and it is more difficult to clip here whilst restraining an active individual (pers.obs.). Underwood and Reynolds (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1980\u003c/span\u003e) showed that, in the arctic fox (\u003cem\u003eAlopex lagopus\u003c/em\u003e), considerable body site-specific variation exists in fur length, with seasonal increases on areas of the body exposed when the animal lies in a curled position.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe rate of fur regrowth is likely to be affected by seasonal moulting in dormice, which has not been investigated extensively and contradictory data exists. Timing of moulting is expected to differ with geographical latitude as this influences the start and end of hibernation (Juškaitis and B\u0026uuml;chner \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). According to Juškaitis and B\u0026uuml;chner, Homolka suggested two moults in adult dormice in northern Moravia; one in June and July and another in August and September, but Sidorowicz recorded earlier spring moulting, just after hibernation in Poland. Kahman (in Juškaitis and B\u0026uuml;chner \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) observed that juvenile dormice in the German Alps appear to moult at around 38 days of age. Stewart and Macdonald (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e) found that yearling badgers in England also moult significantly earlier than adults. In our investigation, no significant differences were detected between age groups, however, only three young of the year were available. Anecdotal observations by the author, in both captive and wild dormice, suggest that clips in juveniles lose visibility more quickly. Benton et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) found that badger cubs were more likely to receive smaller, shallower fur clips than adults as effective restraint is more challenging due to smaller size and, anecdotally, cubs tend to exhibit more agitated behaviour.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDifferences in visibility between sexes were not significant but fur regrowth might be expected to be slower in pregnant or lactating females as oestrogens have been shown to have a strong influence on the hair growth cycle in mice (Plikus and Chuong, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). Juskaitis (2008) also observed a delay until October in moulting of late breeding adult female hazel dormice. This has also been recorded in badgers that have lactated (Stewart and Macdonald, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis research found that individuals re-clipped in autumn can still be identified in spring, post-hibernation, enabling individuals to be tracked for more than one year.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions and Recommendations","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study showed that fur clipping of hazel dormice can be used to identify individuals that are regularly encountered at a monitoring site. The high persistence of clip patches from autumn to spring allows individuals to be followed from one year to the next.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe small sample size and high variation between individuals made it difficult to detect differences between sexes, body position and age. We recommend repeating this study with a larger sample size, particularly of young of the year. Seasonality of fur regrowth could be further investigated by repeating the study with clipping beginning at different months of the year. A captive diet, where food is freely available year-round, might affect fur regrowth rates. It would be useful to repeat the study in a wild population. An investigation of the timing of seasonal moulting in the UK would also be helpful.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors would like to thank Dr Pat Morris for advice and Prof. Debbie Bartlett and Prof. Richard Griffiths for comments on the manuscript draft.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH.J.R., S.D.L and N.A. conceptualised and designed the study. H.J.R. conducted the fur clipping and collected the data. S.D.L. performed the data analysis. H.R. prepared the initial manuscript draft. H.J.R., S.D.L and N.A. \u0026nbsp;contributed to the manuscript revision and approved the final version for submission.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dataset used in the current study is available from the corresponding author on request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ethics of the project was approved by the Wildwood Trust ethical review committee. Data collection was carried out during regular dormouse health checks to avoid causing additional disturbance. Handling and fur clipping is permitted under a level 2 class licence held by the corresponding author and a dormouse possession licence held by the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group, both issued by Natural England.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Wildwood Trust complies with its research and animal welfare policies. It also adheres to the UK Government Secretary of State\u0026rsquo;s standards of modern zoo practice.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was funded by Wildwood Trust and People\u0026rsquo;s Trust for Endangered Species.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBenton CH, Griffiths AL, Delahay RJ (2024) Performance of fur clips and livestock markers for identifying vaccinated badgers. 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Accessed 16 January 2025\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"european-journal-of-wildlife-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ejwr","sideBox":"Learn more about [European Journal of Wildlife Research](http://link.springer.com/journal/10344)","snPcode":"10344","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10344/3","title":"European Journal of Wildlife Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"individual identification, marking, longevity, small mammals, non-invasive, capture-mark-recapture","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6297986/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6297986/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eFur clipping is a non-invasive method, widely used for marking small mammals to enable them to be individually recognised. Individual identification can be important to estimate minimum population size and home range and to measure survival and movement between captures. Social interactions and breeding, such as frequency of litters, may also be studied. Clipping of the guard hairs to reveal the darker underfur is generally accepted as an ethical and non-invasive procedure and only requires a Natural England level 2 survey licence in the United Kingdom. Less training and resources are needed than for invasive methods such as passive integrated transponders. However, it is unclear how long fur clip marks persist. In this study, 18 captive hazel dormice (\u003cem\u003eMuscardinus avellanarius)\u003c/em\u003e were used to measure the longevity of fur clips on three different body positions; shoulder, side and rump, during the active season and over winter. The dormice were examined, photographed and their fur re-clipped on one side at regular intervals within the monthly monitoring period (April to November) of the UK National Dormouse Monitoring Programme. Significant variation in hair regrowth between individuals was found. There was a 71% chance of a patch clipped just once being visible the following month, but a 90% chance for patches that had been re-clipped at least once. On persistence of the first clip, there was no significant difference between age groups but the differences between sexes and body positions were almost significant. Patches re-clipped in autumn could all be detected in spring, post hibernation.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Fur clipping as a method for identification in the hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius: how reliable is it for monthly monitoring?","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-05-02 12:47:14","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6297986/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-05-12T05:59:03+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-05-10T13:26:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"243707975203160734933144463091482757127","date":"2025-05-02T13:29:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-04-29T14:53:42+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"161472333876395742168806050200110949326","date":"2025-04-28T13:11:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-28T06:48:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-04-28T06:24:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-04-28T03:13:54+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"European Journal of Wildlife Research","date":"2025-03-24T19:21:44+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"european-journal-of-wildlife-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ejwr","sideBox":"Learn more about [European Journal of Wildlife Research](http://link.springer.com/journal/10344)","snPcode":"10344","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10344/3","title":"European Journal of Wildlife Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"85bacc16-79fa-4f69-ad1e-fce9017192f1","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 2nd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-10T16:02:10+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6297986","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-025-02015-1","journal":{"identity":"european-journal-of-wildlife-research","isVorOnly":false,"title":"European Journal of Wildlife Research"},"publishedOn":"2025-11-04 15:57:43","publishedOnDateReadable":"November 4th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-05-02 12:47:14","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s10344-025-02015-1","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-025-02015-1","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6297986","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6297986","identity":"rs-6297986","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}