Winter Brings Changes

In most places on Earth, the weather changes with the seasons. There are four seasons every year–spring, summer, fall, and winter. This month, winter begins in the Northern Hemisphere. People will start to change the things they wear and do. For example, they might stay inside their houses most of the time or wear heavier clothing when they go out. But what do animals do in the winter? Different animals have different ways of surviving the winter. They might migrate, adapt, or hibernate.

Many birds and insects in northern areas migrate south for the winter. To migrate means to move from one place to another. Animals that migrate do so to avoid the freezing cold and to be able to find food during the harsh winter months. Monarch butterflies are one example of insects that migrate. In the summer, these butterflies live in Canada and the northern United States. But in the winter, they migrate as far south as Mexico! That means that people in the North will not see these butterflies as the weather gets colder. They will not see many other insects and birds either, until the weather warms in the spring.

This map shows the migration of the Monarch Butterfly from September to November.

Other animals like deer, squirrels, and rabbits, remain in their northern homes during the winter. Instead of migrating, they adapt to the cold weather. To adapt means to change. These animals change the way they live in order to survive the cold.. They might grow thicker coats of fur and an extra layer of fat to protect their bodies from the cold. They may look for different foods, such as berries and leaves, than they are able to find in warm weather. They may also live in holes in trees or under the ground to stay warm. People will still see these animals during the winter months, even when it is very cold outside.

Some animals go into a very deep sleep during the winter. This is called hibernation. Bears and chipmunks hibernate. So do frogs, snakes, and even some bugs. Animals that hibernate use sleep to protect themselves. They prepare for their long sleep by eating a lot of food in the fall. Much of this food gets stored in their body in the form of fat. This fat is used by their bodies while the animals sleep. Sleeping helps them to save their energy so that they don’t even need to burn much of this fat.

Bears hibernate in the winter. Do we?

As winter starts where you live, check out your surroundings. What changes are happening for the animals in your area? Are they hibernating? Did they migrate? Are they adapting? They may not be getting out their hats and mittens, but they are changing the things they do—just like you do!

TLX News Journal: Geography Activity

Would you like to hibernate through the winter? Why or why not? In your TLX News Journal,  make a comparison chart showing the pluses and minuses of hibernating. If you were going to hibernate, where would you do it? How would you prepare? What would you miss by sleeping through the winter?