Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water, and the frogs and turtles can breath by absorbing it through their skin. They may even bury themselves in the mud. There, frogs, turtles and many fish hide under rocks, logs or fallen leaves. When the weather gets cold, they move to the bottom of lakes and ponds. Water makes a good shelter for many animals. Snakes and many other reptiles find shelter in holes or burrows, and spend the winter inactive, or dormant. Other Ways to SurviveĬold-blooded animals like fish, frogs, snakes and turtles have no way to keep warm during the winter. Bears, skunks, chipmunks, and some bats hibernate. Some also store food like nuts or acorns to eat later in the winter. They use this fat for energy while hibernating. In the fall, these animals get ready for winter by eating extra food and storing it as body fat. The animal's body temperature drops, and its heartbeat and breathing slow down. Some animals hibernate for part or all of the winter. Also, some fish stay active in cold water during the winter. There are a few insects, like the winter stone fly, crane fly, and snow fleas, that are normally active in winter. To try to stay warm, animals like squirrels and mice may huddle close together.Ĭertain spiders and insects may stay active if they live in frost-free areas and can find food to eat. Some mice even build tunnels through the snow. In the winter, it can not find these things, so instead it eats small rodents.Īnimals may find winter shelter in holes in trees or logs, under rocks or leaves, or underground. The red fox eats fruit and insects in the spring, summer and fall. Other animals eat different kinds of food as the seasons change. Some, like rabbits and deer, spend winter looking for moss, twigs, bark and leaves to eat. Some animals, like squirrels, mice and beavers, gather extra food in the fall and store it to eat later. On weasels and snowshoe rabbits, the new fur is white to help them hide in the snow.įood is hard to find in the winter. To keep warm, animals may grow new, thicker fur in the fall. Many make changes in their behavior or bodies. Some animals remain and stay active in the winter. Many, like termites and Japanese beetles, move downward into the soil.Įarthworms also move down, some as far as six feet below the surface. Most migrating insects go much shorter distances. They migrate as far south as Mexico for the winter. For example, Monarch butterflies spend the summer in Canada and the Northern U.S. Certain butterflies and moths fly very long distances. They may swim south, or move into deeper, warmer water. There are a few mammals, like some bats, caribou and elk, and whales that travel in search of food each winter. They also seem to have a compass in their brain for using the Earth's magnetic field. But how do they find their way to the same place each year? Birds seem to navigate like sailors once did, using the sun, moon and stars for direction. Most migrating birds travel shorter distances. In autumn, it flys south all the way to Antarctica. For example, the Arctic tern nests close to the North Pole in the summer. The cycle is controlled by changes in the amount of daylight and the weather.īirds can fly very long distances. Many see migration as part of a yearly cycle of changes a bird goes through. How do they know when it is time to leave for the winter? Scientists are still studying this. For example, geese fly in noisy, "V"-shaped groups. Because the trip can be dangerous, some travel in large flocks. Some of them "migrate." This means they travel to other places where the weather is warmer or they can find food. Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival *Īnimals do many different, amazing things to get through the winter.
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