Thanks for sharing. We've funded research using a detection dog to succesfully find hibernating hedgehogs over winter. Wondering whether they're likely to be able to detect smaller hibernators - hazel dormice - on the forest floor?

I would bet that yes, they are capable of it-- the question is mostly detection distance and whether it's vauable in the field. We've had similar situations with turtle nests and other difficult targets.  

Do you have a few known hibernation sites that could be used to test dogs?  If so, that would be a big help.  Feel free to reach out to me or Alice Whitelaw ([email protected]) if you'd like to discuss in more detail.