What do animals do in winter?
It’s cold outside! How do animals survive?
When it gets cold, what do you do?
I put on a jumper, stay inside and have a hot chocolate!
Animals can’t put on a jumper, so what do they do in winter? Winter is cold and there is less food around. Animals have three choices. They can:
Hibernate
Hibernation is like a very deep sleep. Animals hide away in a den or burrow. Their body temperature and heart rate slow down. This helps them to save their energy. Hibernating animals wake up in spring when the weather is nicer and there is more food around.
Migrate
Would you like to go somewhere hot for the winter? That’s what migrating animals do. When the weather starts to get cold migrating animals fly or swim to a warmer place where they can find food.
Adapt
Animals that adapt to the cold weather often change their appearance. They grow warmer fur or feathers and sometimes change color. Some animals change color to camouflage themselves against the snow. These animals can find food in winter, even though there isn’t much food around.
During the last Environmental Club time we approached this winter topic. We discussed the way animals deal with winter season and what their possibilities are. Afterwards each child chose his own animals and their habitat and created beautiful posters. We also enjoyed cocoa with whip-cream to feel the chill:)
Ms. Eva
