Report from a park user yesterday:
I saw two butterflies in Sleepers Field this morning – a brimstone and a peacock.
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A squirrel factoid
Unlike the dormice of yesterday’s post, grey squirrels can’t hibernate; their metabolism won’t let them put on enough weight to sleep through the winter.
Continue reading “A squirrel factoid”Dormouse hibernation
We have seen signs that there are dormice somewhere in the park. At this time of year they will be deep in hibernation.
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Hibernation
The temperature is dropping and we have already seen the first frosts. The park’s invertebrates are preparing for hibernation.
Continue readingOverwintering
Almost all of the 21 species of butterfly that have been seen in the park this summer, will overwinter here. Butterflies can hibernate in all four of the stages of their development.
Britain has fifty eight species of butterfly, and nine of these species spend the winter as an egg, thirty two spend it as a caterpillar, eleven as a pupa, and six as an adult.
Here are some examples:Hibernating mammals
Of all the mammals on our species list, only the bats and the hedgehogs hibernate. We have found the tiniest piece of evidence that there might be dormice in the park, if so, that would be a third hibernating species.
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 