Nature Journal

Looking out my dorm room window during the winter has me thinking... where do all the animals go during winter?

As winter approaches, many animals have the luxury of escaping the cold (unlike me who is headed back to Chicago) just before the beginning of the harsh winter months. During hibernation, mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians go into a slumber as they wait for warmer weather to come once again. It's almost as if the world is asleep.

Animal’s heart, breathing rates and body temperature....they all drop during this quiet time. They are then re-awaken in the spring to start mating and rebuilding their homes. Their whole lives get put on hold (if only this was how humans worked, too). Still, a great deal of work goes into preparing for the winter hibernation months, beginning with many animals seeking the perfect spot to lay for months.

Most mammals are considered are considered light hibernators preparing for winter in a similar fashion as their “deep hibernation” counterparts, by packing weight. Light hibernators differ from their deep hibernators in their ability to be wake up throughout the course of the winter months. Deep hibernators cannot be woken up.

Fascinated with animal behavior, I watched as a squirrel attempted to prepare for the winter months. How interesting it is to see these squirrels scurry and scatter small bits together to prepare for hibernation, only to hide acorns that they will never find.

As the days get shorter and the nights become longer, many animals begin to do the same as the squirrels. Another obvious example of animals reacting to the cold weather are the birds flying south. On university drive, many birds normally line the wire of the electric towers; however, during the winter months there are no birds present. Their usual constant and loud chirping is replaced by the silence of winer. They won't be back again until the warmer months.

https://www.livescience.com/54982-why-do-animals-hibernate.html