foto: Wikipedia

Animals in winter

 

What do you know about animals in winter? Do they all hibernate or not? Do they eat in winter? What do they eat in winter? These questions are very interesting. Let’s answer them.

Only some animals hibernate for part or all winter. It is a special and very deep sleep. The animal’s body temperature drops, and the heartbeat and breathing slow down. And of course, it uses very little energy. In autumn these animals get ready for winter sleep eating extra food and storing it as body fat. They use this fat for energy while hibernating. Bears, skunks, chipmunks, polar bears and some bats hibernate in winter.

Some animals like squirrels, deer, foxes, wolves, martens, elks, etc. do not hibernate. Squirrels store nuts, mushrooms or acorns to eat later in winter. Wolves hunter on elks, wild boars; foxes eat mice, hares. Elks eat branches of the trees, moss, lichen, barks of the trees.

As for the insects, they look for winter shelter in holes in the ground, under the bark of trees, deep inside rotting logs or in any small crack they can find. It is interesting that some of them find shelter in the gall. A gall is a swelling on a plant. It is caused by certain insects or bacteria. The gall becomes its maker’s home and food source.

TASK: Read and choose True (T) or False (F) statements:

1. All the animals hibernate in winter. T F

2. Hibernation is a special and deep sleep. T F

3. Animals eat extra food and store fat. T F

4. Polar bears do not hibernate. T F

5. Foxes do not hibernate. T F

6. Wolves do not hunter on elks. T F

7. Squirrels store nuts or acorns. T F

8. Insects look for winter shelters. T F

KEY: 1F, 2T, 3T, 4F, 5T, 6F, 7T, 8T

foto: Wikimedia Commons