As you reach for that extra blanket to snuggle underneath, spare a thought for our local wildlife struggling to survive this winter. In fact, many animals, from hedgehogs and frogs, to snakes and butterflies, opt for hibernation as a way to get them through.

Hibernation: Very few animals truly hibernate; most actually spend the winter in and out of a deep sleep known as ‘torpor’. During cold weather, their body temperature falls and their metabolic rate slows helping them to conserve vast amounts of energy at a time when food is scarce. Often animals will go into a state of torpor for a portion of the day or night, spending the rest of the time looking for food. But when an animal is in a state of torpor for days, weeks or months this is known as ‘hibernation’.

The tell-tale signs of hibernation are easy to spot — from squirrels fattening up by stuffing their cheeks with acorns, to hedgehogs curling up in that pile of leaves you left for the bonfire.

The number of daylight hours is one clear signal to animals to begin hibernating, and many can be spotted gearing up their preparations, from storing food to collecting suitable bedding.

Big sleepers?: Hedgehogs typically curl up for the winter under the cover of leaves, a compost heap or a pile of rotting logs. Energy reserves built up through the summer by gorging on all manner of insects are used to keep the body going during the big sleep. You can help fatten them up by providing cat or dog food in the garden, but do check all leaf piles for sleeping hogs before making a bonfire.

Dormice are one of our ‘true’ hibernators — dormancy is triggered at the first frost and they normally do not awaken until spring. Dormice are a threatened species, so BBOWT is helping them by providing the best woodland habitat possible at sites like Warburg, near Henley.

Butterflies have a range of winter strategies; some spend the winter as eggs, others as larvae or adults. The silver-washed fritillary, for example, spends the winter as larvae, hibernating in cracks in trees. Others, such as the brimstone and small tortoiseshell, hibernate as adults, ready to fly on the first warm spring morning.

How to help: Human disturbance can cause hibernating wildlife to awaken early, increasing the risk of starvation as food supplies are limited. So the average garden is a great place to create a safe home for hibernators. By piling up some autumn leaves and a few old logs, you can give local wildlife a better chance of surviving the winter.

Nature reserves: Although some of our wildlife may have bedded down for the winter, there is still plenty to see on your local nature reserve; BBOWT’s Warburg, Foxholes and Chimney Meadows nature reserves are all beautiful spots for an autumnal walk. Visit www.bbowt.org.uk or call 01865 775476.