Animals and plants that live in environments where winters are cold and have snow and ice have developed ways to survive the harsh conditions. These adaptations make it possible for them to live, even when food is scarce, temperatures drop below freezing for months at a time, and all the available water is frozen. Some plants enter a dormant period, where they lose their leaves and stop growing, while others have leaves designed to conserve water and keep their basic life processes going through the cold period. Both strategies have made it possible for these species to survive for thousands of years. Animals can have structural or behavioral adaptations. Hibernation or torpor (a lighter form of hibernation), and migration are both ways animals act in order to survive the winter, but many animals also have body features that make them suited to the cold (blubber, hollow hairs to trap warm air, thick fur, large body size) and living in snow and ice (large feet, white coloring). Additional ActivitiesVideos:
Sci Show Kids has several videos about winter adaptations: Animals with Winter Coats, How do Whales, Penguins, and Polar Bears Keep Warm?, Migrations: Big Animal Trips, and Trees That Never Lose Their Leaves Winter Adaptations Animals in winter face many challenge of how to survive winter cold and the lack of food. Sarah Armour discusses how different animals have adapted to these stresses through migration, hibernation, blubber, and cuddling. Unraveling the Monarch Butterfly Migration Mystery The monarch butterfly migration is one of nature’s greatest events. This orange-winged wonder travels up to 4,500 km from all over North America to spend the winter hanging from oyamel fir trees in central Mexico’s mountain forests. Books: All Creation Waits If you celebrate Advent, this is an amazing book that looks at the coming winter and how animals survive the coming season. Short, daily reflections that paint vivid, poetic images of familiar animals, paired with charming original wood-cuts, will engage both children and adults. Over and Under the Snow Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. The Over and Under book series are beautiful! Animals in Winter Read and find out how animals cope with winter's worst weather. Activities: Demonstrate how arctic animals stay warm with just ice water and a little shortening. See how penguins stay dry thanks to a waxy coat of feathers. Try one of these activities to learn more about how animals camouflage in the winter.
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April 2021
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