![]() It’s often thought that red squirrels hibernate over winter in their nests, but they don’t. Delayed implantation of fertilised eggs occurs in December, and cubs are typically born in February.īadger in green woodland/Credit: Getty Red squirrel ( Scirus vulgaris) Photographed on the Isle of Wight, one of only a few locations in the UK where red squirrels reside/Credit: Getty During the winter months they even have a special area of the sett to use a latrine. They spend autumn building their fat reserves and collecting bedding, so that they can sleep in a snug, comfortable sett. European badger ( Meles meles) Badgers go into a state of torpor, rather than hibernation/Credit: Gettyīadgers undergo torpor instead of hibernation in winter, where they can spend days – and even weeks – in a deep sleep, sometimes referred to as winter rest. Introduced to the UK in 1902, this species can be found within 35km of its release site in Tring, Hertfordshire, where it can become a nuisance by taking up residence in roof spaces. In preparation for this, it feeds on fruits and nuts in autumn – and is particularly associated with beech trees – doubling its body weight. Like its cousin, the hazel dormouse, the non-native edible dormouse also enters hibernation for winter. European edible dormouse ( Glis glis) The non-native edible dormouse favours nuts from beech trees/Credit: Getty They can spend a staggering three-quarters of the year asleep. Outside of winter, a dormouse can also enter torpor if food is scarce or the weather is too poor for foraging. ![]() During hibernation, a dormouse will lose 30% of its bodyweight, and scientists believe one needs to weigh at least 15-18g in order to survive the winter. Usually found in the tops of trees, the hazel dormouse descends to ground level to hibernate in a woven and sealed nest. ![]() Hazel dormouse ( Muscardinus avellanarius) A young hazel dormouse peering out through the leaves of a beech tree in Leigh Woods, Bristol/Credit: Getty However, it’s still unknown where our two most abundant species – common and soprano pipistrelles – spend the colder months, as there are very few records of them in winter. They need somewhere with stable and cool temperatures, such as caves, tunnels and mine shafts. For hibernation, they use different roost sites than in spring and summer. Bats ( Chiroptera) A lesser horseshoe bat hanging out in a cave/Credit: Gettyīats hibernate through winter from November onwards and then start to emerge on warm nights in early spring to begin feeding. Hedgehogs usually come out of hibernation in March/April. If it looks unwell, or you are worried, it’s best to follow the advice of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. However, don’t be too alarmed if you do spot one shuffling about in the colder months, as they are known to move between hibernating spots and to forage in mild weather. Once settled, its body temperature can drop to below 10☌ and its heart rate to just 20 beats per minute. One of the few UK species that enters true hibernation, a hedgehog builds a nest called a hibernacula in which it spends the winter. ![]() Robin in a wintry garden/Credit: Getty Which British animals hibernate? European hedgehog ( Erinaceus europaeus) Hedgehogs are in decline, so help them out with fresh water and leave corners untidy to give them somewhere to hibernate/ Credit: Getty
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