Many species of animals partake in a type of deep sleep called hibernation that enables them to survive for extended periods without any food. How do animals who hibernate not get hungry? These facts demonstrate why hibernation is an incredibly adaptive response that helps animals survive cold temperatures and food shortages in the winter. The proteins form an ice-blocking barrier enabling the animals to survive subzero temperatures.įinally, bears are not true hibernators instead, they enter a period of profound lethargy where their body temperature does not fall significantly, but their breathing rate reduces dramatically. The process of supercooling starts when they release certain types of antifreeze proteins from their cells into body fluids. What are some fun facts about animals that hibernate in the winter?Īnimals that hibernate during the winter have some exciting and even unexpected habits.įor example, bats and ground squirrels undergo torpor, a sleep-like state in which their body temperature drops and their metabolism slows down, allowing them to conserve energy.įurthermore, hedgehogs and wood frogs can survive temperatures up to -5 degrees Celsius by partially freezing themselves! My 3 year old loved matching the little pictures to the animals in the book and then placing in the appropriate column. The printable contains a chart for “Hibernating” and “Non-hibernating” and then a number of animals to cut out and sort into columns. Kelli made up this perfect chart to go with the book, so be sure to grab yours (free printable). It was so cute! Then they would all yell, “It’s time to hibernate again!” We had to play many, many times! It was worth it to hear them walking around saying “hibernate” though!Īfterwards, we talked about other animals that hibernate, using Animals in Winter as a reference. The little bears “ate” lots of berries and other bear food before heading to their cave for the winter.Īfter the “bears” had been in the den for about 10 seconds, I would yell “Spring Time” and all the bears would come out and s-t-r-e-t-c-h. I knew our kids would love that as well, so we set up a little tent/cave. When the timer buzzes, winter is over and the kids all come roaring out the cave. ![]() I spotted a great game over at Teach Preschool where kids climb into a “bear den” to hibernate. They loved the Animals in Winter book, especially the page that talked about the groundhog building a bathroom under the ground! The text in the bear book was a little too complex for my kids (ages 2-3), but they really enjoyed the pictures and seeing different types of bears. How and Why Animals Prepare for Winter (How and Why Series) Animals in Winter (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science)
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