If you have just scoffed, snorted in derision and put down your Echo at the idea that hibernating a reptile, which has literally evolved to
hibernate, is a cause for anxiety - bear with me.
Butterflies and moths
hibernate as pupae or caterpillars in long grass or at the base of plants, or even just below the soil, so keep your grass as long as you can stand and don't cut back all of your perennials, as other insects, including spiders, may take refuge in the hollow stems.
In contrast, terrestrial frogs and toads usually
hibernate on land, often burrowing into the ground below the frost line, or--for frogs like the wood frog that are not adapted to digging their own burrow--seeking crevices in logs or rocks, or scooching down in leaf debris (though this is not a guaranteed way to prevent freezing).
IEmily Wilson, hedgehog officer at Hedgehog Street, a joint campaign by the People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) explains: "Hedgehogs usually
hibernate from October/November to March/April, though this year the weather has been particularly unusual - snow in March and a heatwave in July - so this may well have an effect on when hedgehogs go into hibernation."
has tried to examine where individual Glis go in order to
hibernate. The results indicate that the distance an individual will move from its frequently used refuge to its hibernaculum varies greatly between individuals, from 5-550 m.
In the first "ate,"
hibernate, some insects slow their respiration and metabolism down in response to cold weather and shorter daylight.
But looking for somewhere to
hibernate, or searching for food or water when their normal supply dwindles, makes winter a tough time.
Garden animals that don't
hibernate - such as birds and squirrels - will often rely for survival on the food you provide as their natural food supply dries up during winter months.
Hazel Milburn: "Don't know whether to emigrate or
hibernate.
Hibernate I think, because I still love my country."
Should a tortoise
hibernate? A Not every species of tortoise needs to
hibernate during the winter, so it will depend which species you have.
Usually tortoises
hibernate for up to a maximum of three months.
"They become totally cold-blooded, like snakes." By this definition, bears don't
hibernate; they downregulate, dropping their body temperatures only modestly, even when winter den temperatures sink lower.