Froglife

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Remember, Remember the Wildlife this November!

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We know that our amphibians and reptiles like to find dark, warm places to hide in at this time of year, which is why we love building hibernacula, log piles or compost heaps in our gardens. These are all very similar to bonfires, so please keep an eye out for our species and other wildlife hiding in your bonfire materials!

Here are some handy tips on how to keep wildlife safe:

  • Wait until the latest possible time to build your bonfire. This will reduce the chance of wildlife taking up residence. If you want to be organised and collect the materials beforehand, stack these up in a separate place and ideally away from your usual wildlife-friendly spots.
  • Check, check and check again before lighting the bonfire, use a torch to make extra sure and only light the fire from one side giving any wildlife time to escape.
  • Make sure the bonfire is out, or safe before leaving it, ash can remain hot for a while and can potentially harm wildlife.
  • Think about creating a permanent home for wildlife in a quiet area of your garden. This can be a log pile, leaf pile, hibernaculum, rockery, or compost heap. Find out more here and let us know how you get on.

 

What our animals are doing this month…

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Written by Emma Byrne, Transforming Lives Trainee. 

November is here, bringing with it shorter days and colder weather. However, it’s not all doom and gloom; it also marks the month of Bonfire night celebrations! Spectacular firework displays, children gleefully waving sparklers in the air, everyone wrapped up in warm coats enjoying burnt jacket potatoes and hot chocolates, whilst huddled round the campfire; there is much to look forward to!  

Wildlife are also beginning to feel the temperature drop and notice the shortening of daylight hours. Many mammals, such as hedgehogs and dormice, are now entering hibernation. Reptiles and amphibians on the other hand, don’t hibernate, but instead brumate.

Hibernation and brumation are both periods of dormancy where physiological processes decelerate in response to cold temperatures. Though closely related, hibernation and brumation still have marked differences, most notably the level of inactivity. During hibernation, mammals will fall into a deep sleep, where they don’t eat or drink. During brumation however, amphibians and reptiles still have periods of activity, when they take advantage of milder patches of weather to come out and forage.

One such amphibian is a Froglife favourite: the great crested newt. Throughout November, great crested newts will seek out shelter to over-winter in. This includes:

  • Old woodland
  • Scrub
  • Holes in the ground
  • Leaf and rock piles

How long they stay in the hibernacula depends on temperature. Newts usually emerge from brumation when temperatures reach over 5°C, so if it’s a little chillier than normal, they may take longer to appear. Great crested newts will continue to brumate until early spring.

Froglife wishes you a spectacular and safe Bonfire Night! If you choose to enjoy the dazzling displays and crackling bonfires in the comfort of your own garden, please remember to protect your garden wildlife. Ensure safety by setting up your bonfire pit away from compost heaps, and thoroughly checking for wildlife before lighting, as they will often use the heaps for shelter during hibernation and brumation.

You can find more tips on keeping wildlife safe during bonfire night here. 

Remember, Remember the Wildlife this November!

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As we do every year, Froglife is reminding people to thoroughly check their bonfires for wildlife before lighting them…

At this time of year, reptiles and amphibians are all looking for somewhere safe and frost-free to see out the winter. A big pile of logs, leaves and twigs may be the ingredients for a perfect bonfire, but they’re also an ideal hiding place for all sorts of other garden inhabitants.

Here are a few tips to help make your celebrations more wildlife-friendly:

  • Collect your wood and other bonfire materials in a separate place to where you’ll be having the bonfire, and move them just before you want to light the fire, ideally as late in the day as possible.  If you’re going to an organised event you could get in touch beforehand and ask if they need any help searching for uninvited guests!
  • If you do come across any animals, just transfer them to a similar habitat in another part of the garden. They may be a little disorientated but the disturbance won’t do them any harm.
  • Just before lighting, have a last check through with a torch and then ensure the fire is only lit from one side so anything left within has the chance to escape.
  • Try to burn only clean, untreated wood on your bonfire, with no nasty varnish, paint or plastics so you don’t release toxic chemicals in the smoke

You could create a permanent log and leaf pile specifically for amphibians, reptiles and other creatures to hide in over winter in a quiet corner of the garden. Other wildlife-friendly features include compost heaps and rockeries. Find out more here.

Don’t forget if you do spot any of our species, use our Dragon Finder App to help identify and record your sightings!

So, have fun this fireworks night but remember what might be buried in your bonfire!

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