Frogs and toads are very susceptible to predation from birds and mammals, so it is essential for them to find a safe place to hibernate for the winter. They also tend to head underground and bury themselves underneath fallen trees and branches, where the temperature is slightly higher. All our reptiles will also take advantage of piles of rotting vegetation, such as ferns and grasses. As plants decompose, they actually create a small amount of heat. Which is why compost piles make such attractive homes for slow worms and amphibians.

Gardens can provide ideal shelter for a range of wildlife, not just amphibians, but you can make them even better and give your local frogs and toads a helping hand by building a hibernaculum, which is a "hibernation place". It doesn't take long and doesn't need to take up half of the garden either! All you need is a spade, some pipe and a bucketful of stones, twigs and chunks of old wood. The whole thing is covered with a top layer of soil, which soon vegetates over and becomes another part of your garden that will benefit wildlife. Other creatures; millipedes, beetles and spiders will also take full advantage of the safe cover your have provided!

In Shropshire, we have 2 native species of snake, 2 types of lizard and 5 amphibian species. Click on the links below to learn more about them all. And when spring arrives, see if you can spot any emerging from hibernation!