ANIMALS IN WINTER


NAPPERS AND SNACKERS

Animals that sleep and eat to survive the winter


skunk

SKUNKS, BADGERS, and RACCOONS do not hibernate all winter. When it is very cold they enter a state of "torpor" where they are able to live off the fat that they stored in their bodies. During nicer weather when the temperature rises, they come out and look for food.

squirrel

SQUIRRELS like to make their winter den in a hollow tree where they build a cozy nest of grasses, leaves and twigs. They grow a thick winter coat and their body heat keeps them warm in their nest. In the fall, squirrels hide nuts and pine cones to eat. They use their sense of smell to find the food they have buried. Squirrels also like to visit bird feeders. On very cold days, squirrels stay in their dens and snack on the food they have stored.

chipmunk

CHIPMUNKS often have their winter burrows under trees. They sleep in a nest made of grasses, leaves and plant fluff which helps to keep them warm in the winter. They wake up often and snack. During late summer, chipmunks gather seeds and nuts. They are able to carry large amounts of food in their cheek pouches. The food is stored in the den under their nests. They also bury food around their dens.

beaver

BEAVERS spend the winter in their lodges. The lodges have entrances below the frozen surface so they can leave the lodge and swim to the branches they have stored a short distance from the lodge. If the pond freezes all the way to the bottom, beavers may become trapped in their lodges and starve.


NEXT - MIGRATION


BACK


J.Giannetta
jgiannet@hotmail.com
1998
updated 2011

Web Pages for Students