Underweight hedgehogs will not survive hibernation, so need to be kept indoors until April time. In other words, the early winter 1.3 lb hedgehog is now down to 0. Common areas found in your garden such as log piles, compost heaps and even under your shed can be used for hibernation spots. Too small to hibernate hedgehogs/overwintering. By the end of the hibernation period, a hedgehog may have lost up to 40 of its initial body weight. This is somewhere between a deep sleep and hibernation, marked by a decrease in body temperature. Hedgehogs may lose as much as 0.2 to 0.3 of their body weight each day of hibernation, or about 0.002 lbs a day (1-2 grams). When do hedgehogs hibernate Hedgehogs typically hibernate from autumn to spring (October - March) but this can vary depending on the temperature and food. Hedgehogs hibernate because food and other resources become scarce during colder months. If the weather gets colder, hedgehogs will go back into hibernation. A spell of warm weather can break the hibernation cycle, and the hedgehog will go search for food. ![]() Other amphibians, like frogs and toads, go into a state of 'torpor'. A hedgehog's hibernation cycle can sometimes be interrupted due to warm weather. While bats, hedgehogs and dormice are the only mammals that hibernate, some invertebrates such as queen bumblebees and butterflies also go into hibernation for the winter. By decreasing these bodily functions, hibernating animals can survive using far less energy. Whilst entering a state of prolonged inactivity, hibernating animals lower their heart rate, slow their breathing, and even drop their internal body temperature. They are one of only three common mammals to hibernate in the UK, along with dormice and bats. Hibernation is a process that helps animals to survive during cold winter months, when food and water is harder to find. Hedgehogs typically hibernate for the winter from October and November until March or April. Profound changes occur within the hedgehogs hibernating body. In fact, there are only three mammals in the UK that enter a true state of hibernation bats, hazel dormice and hedgehogs. Hibernation is not, as is often supposed, just a long sleep. Sadly, as humans, our bodies lack the necessary metabolic adaptations to make that dream a reality. I’m sure many of us wish we could crawl into a cosy burrow and spend the winter in hibernation.
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