Margaret shares how animals survive the winter, including warm layers, hibernation, and torpor.
Class Discussion Questions:
1) What can we learn from animal winter adaptations to stay warm?
2) How do you adapt to Ohio's changing seasons?
3) Compare and contrast hibernation and torpor using a Venn diagram.
Read the Script:
Brr. Now that winter is here, I'm not heading outside without some extra warm layers. Actually, even when I'm inside, I like to sit as close to the heater as I can. Well, it turns out, I'm not alone in this. Many wild animals deal with Ohio's winters just like me by adding extra layers and seeking warm spaces.
But, instead of digging out the old winter sweaters and jackets, many birds and mammals grow their own warm layers in order to adapt to colder weather. For example, mammals like deer and foxes replace thin summer coats with thicker, denser winter coats. Even birds like cardinals, who don't fly south for the winter, grow thicker, warmer coats of feathers. All of these wild winter coats actually have two layers, an inner layer that traps heat and an outer layer that repels water.
Mammals and birds also adapt by changing their eating patterns with the season. In the fall, they chow down lots of extra dense food. Their bodies store that food as a layer of fat, which helps keep them really warm underneath those good winter coats. And, their bodies can use that fat for energy when food is scarce in the middle of winter.
But, what about when wild animals want to get out of the weather and go inside? Well, it turns out there are a lot of kinds of places where wild animals find shelter from the elements. Caves, crevices in trees, underground burrows can all provide cozy spots for animals to hunker down. Wood piles and leaf piles also fit the bill for smaller animals like chipmunks, frogs, or snakes.
Speaking of cold-blooded animals like snakes and frogs and turtles, many of those species simply find a spot and stay there all winter, not doing much of anything. So, you aren't likely to see them in the winter months. You know another animal you aren't likely to see in the winter? My favorite groundhogs. Groundhogs are one of the few animals in Ohio that truly hibernate. This means that their bodies slow waaay down and they basically sleep through the whole winter.
Other animals, like skunks and raccoons, can do a milder version of hibernation called torpor. Animals in a state of torpor might just sleep through a couple days of really, really cold weather. But, they don't hibernate for the entire winter. There are times when I'd like to nap through winter, but, alas, hibernation isn't something humans can do. We've just got to stick to our coats and our hats.
Learn a little more...with a link!
Website Article: Earth Rangers, Top Ten Ways Animals Survive the Winter | How do animals get through the cold, snowy months?
Website Article: Wonderopolis, How Do Arctic Animals Survive in the Cold? | Learn how animals survive & then try the fun activities.
Video: PBS LearningMedia, The Winter World of Wolves and Buffalo | See how wolves & buffalo survive the winter as predator & prey.