03 Animals in Winter

In most places in the world, winter brings shorter days and colder weather. At this time of year, there is usually less food available for animals. However, they deal with this shortage in various ways. Some animals hoard food so that they have it in the winter. Squirrels and some kinds of birds like blue jays and woodpeckers, store nuts and seeds in trees and other hiding places. Beavers store tree branches underwater near their lodges. And honeybees make enough honey to last the hive through the winter.

To get ready for winter, many animals eat more than they actually need during the warm months. This extra food is stored in their bodies in the form of fat in their bodies. The animals' bodies absorb fat to provide energy in winter.

Beavers store body fat in their tails. Bumblebees drink lots of nectar to fatten up their bodies and fill their honey stomachs. Bears eat enough in summer and fall to survive without eating all winter, when they are in a deep sleep.

One way animals adapt to winter is by becoming dormant. These animals may look like they are sleeping, but they are actually conserving energy by staying still. Chipmunks, for example, are dormant during the winter and are active only once in a while to eat food stored in their dens.

Animals such as bats and snakes shut down so completely in winter that their body temperature drops and their breathing and heart rate slows. This is called hibernation. Bears do something similar to hibernating, but their body temperature doesn't drop as much. However, bears are able to go months without eating.

Word List

hoard : to gather things and store them or hide them for later

dormant : inactive in order to save energy

hibernation : a special kind of inactivity where the body processes slow down enormously

You Practice

I. Answer the following questions.

1) Why do many animals hoard food during the warm months?

2) How do bees prepare for winter?

3) What are some animals that become dormant in winter?

4) Why is it a good idea for many animals to hibernate in winter?

5) Do bears hibernate? Explain.

II. What's the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the reading.

1) arms of trees: b _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2) saving: c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3) a small animal: c _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4) not active: d _ _ _ _ _ _

5) homes for some animals: d _ _ _

III. Read these sentences carefully. Write Yes or No for each one.

____ 1) All animals hibernate.

____ 2) Bears eat a lot of food in winter.

____ 3) Beavers cannot store fat.

____ 4) Birds sometimes hoard sunflowe seeds.

____ 5) Becoming dormant is a good way of adapting to winter.