Image Dormice are the longest hibernators, often having some shut-eye for 7 months or more, although they are very active when awake, and do incredible ‘long-jumps’ that would put Olympic athletes to shame. Named after the French word for ‘sleep’, dormice are tiny creatures (not mice) that are related to squirrels and beavers. The reason…
creatures
why bats are brilliant (not scary)
image Bats are our only flying mammals. They don’t suck your blood, land in your hair (and rarely give anyone rabies – the only people at risk are bat rescuers who are aware, and wear gloves). Bats are not blind, but don’t have good eyesight. So they navigate by echo-location, which is a pretty cool…
how to help hibernating mammals
Eric Heyman England has three mammals that hibernate (dormice, hedgehogs and bats). Hibernation is not so much a deep sleep, more a state of slowing down the body temperature, heart rate and breathing to store energy, at a time when food is scarce (some creatures worldwide wake up to eat during hibernation). Warmer temperatures in…
help prevent dog bites & attacks
James Bartholomew Most dogs that bite and attack are not socialised (living outside in yards). Rather than blame dogs (who may be in pain), it’s important to treat dogs well, and also teach children not to scream if they are scared of dogs, as this can spook any creature. If you feel that your dog…