Today at Forest School the children learnt some interesting Hedgehog facts and why they hibernate.
They hibernate as a way to conserve energy and survive through the winter months when food is scarce. During hibernation, a hedgehog’s metabolic rate slows down, and its body temperature drops significantly, which helps it to conserve energy.
Hedgehogs typically hibernate from late autumn to early spring, depending on the climate and availability of food. Before hibernation, they will need to build up their fat reserves by feeding on insects, slugs, and other small animals.
Once they have enough fat stored, hedgehogs will find a safe and sheltered spot to hibernate, such as a pile of leaves, a burrow, or a log pile. They will curl up into a ball and enter a state of torpor, which is a deep sleep-like state. During torpor, their heart rate, breathing rate, and metabolism slow down, and their body temperature drops to match the ambient temperature.
Hedgehogs can remain in this state of torpor for several weeks at a time, waking up briefly every few days to drink water and possibly move to a new location. When the weather warms up and food becomes more readily available in the spring, they will come out of hibernation and start to feed and regain their strength.
Overall, hibernation is a survival mechanism that helps hedgehogs conserve energy and survive through the winter months when food is scarce.
We looked around the school playground for any signs of hedgehogs but sadly didn’t find any. We then decided to make our own hedgehog using natural materials such as twigs and clay soil.
Enjoy the snapshots.
