© Guy Edwardes/2020Vision
I’m sure many of us wish we could crawl into a cosy burrow and spend the winter in hibernation. Sadly, as humans, our bodies lack the necessary metabolic adaptations to make that dream a reality.
In fact, there are only three mammals in the UK that enter a true state of hibernation; bats, hazel dormice and hedgehogs.
Hibernating dormouse © Danny Green
In the same way that yawns are contagious, the image of a snoozing dormouse, curled up in a warm cosy ball, makes most people want to close their eyes and drift off to sleep.
These gingery rodents have a real knack for napping and can spend as much as five months of the year in hibernation! In fact, although the exact origin of the name dormouse is unclear, it’s thought to stem from the French word ‘dormir’ which means ‘to sleep’.
Interestingly, hazel dormice spend most of their waking lives hidden high up in trees away from predators, but prefer to hibernate at ground level, normally at the base of trees, inside logs or hidden beneath fallen leaves.
Soprano Pipistrelle Bat © Pat Waring
Unlike hedgehogs and dormice, who mate during summer months, mating season for bats doesn’t begin until early autumn.
From September onwards, bats from different colonies will gather in large swarms to look for a mate and find a suitable hibernation roost – often using man made structures like mine shafts or church spires.
Fascinatingly, although bats breed in autumn, females are able to delay fertilisation and won't begin pregnancy until they wake back up in spring.
Hedgehog © Tom Marshall
Depending on weather conditions, hedgehogs will begin hibernation from as early as November or as late as January. In the run up to hibernation they’ll find a quiet spot to build a nest, often under hedges, sheds or even compost heaps.
Although hibernation lasts until March, it’s not unusual to see hedgehogs moving around and building new nests throughout winter months.
Wood piles also make ideal places for hedgehogs to hunker down for winter, so remember to thoroughly check winter bonfires for sleeping hedgehogs before you light them!
