Silkysteps early years forum - planning ideas for play

A new outline resource has been added to the store that features 9 hibernating animals - furries, reptiles and insects that use dormancy for means of survival .. and a mole outline!

Hibernation outlines - £2.25

-----------------------------------

The source of this quote is Wikipedia's Dormancy page, which also highlights just how diverse the use of dormancy is in animals.

Quote:

Hibernation is a mechanism in many animals to escape cold weather and food shortage over the winter. Hibernation may be predictive or consequential. An animal prepares for hibernation by building up a thick layer of body fat during late summer and autumn which will provide it with energy during the dormant period. During hibernation the animal undergoes many physiological changes, including decreased heart rate (by as much as 95%) and decreased body temperature. Animals that hibernate include bats, ground squirrels and other rodents, mouse lemurs, the European Hedgehog and other insectivores, monotremes and marsupials.

There's much more information on hibernation on this page of the BBC dormancy on animals

---------------------

To help the bugs in your area over winter and hibernate in comfort make hand sized cane homes and place near rose bushes, grasses, and hedgerows ..

Cut the top and bottom from a small drinks bottle and push in as many varying sized cane lengths as the tube will hold. Wrap twine around the outside and secure in place.
Take care with positioning to avoid water logging and drowning and check in occasionaly to ensure everythings still intact and not a risk to other wildlife.