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- Snow Leopards. Scientific Name: Panthera uncia. Diet: Carnivore. Type of Animal: Mammal. The beautiful snow leopard’s environment doesn’t give way to brighter days with the approaching spring.
- Arctic Wolves. Scientific Name: Canis lupus arctos. Diet: Carnivore. Type of Animal: Mammal. The Arctic wolf is no stranger to freezing conditions, and where it lives, temperatures can plummet to -50°F.
- Snow Monkeys. Scientific Name: Macaca fuscata. Diet: Omnivore. Type of Animal: Mammal. The fascinating Japanese Macaques monkeys are the world’s most northern-living primates.
- Harp Seals. Scientific Name: Pagophilus groenlandicus. Diet: Carnivore. Type of Animal: Mammal. Harp seals are found cavorting around in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
- Polar Bear. One of the most popular cold-weather animals is the polar bear. They are the largest bears in the world and are symbols of strength and perseverance in the wild.
- Snow Leopard. Snow leopards’ gray-white pebbled fur helps them camouflage perfectly into the landscape. They blend in so well; they have been referred to as "ghosts of the mountain."
- Emperor Penguins. Penguins are the best-dressed cold-weather animals in the Southern Hemisphere. Compared to other penguin species, the emperor penguin is the largest, standing about four feet tall and weighing up to 100 pounds.
- Walrus. The walrus is a unique-looking cold-weather animal. They can grow up to 11 feet long and weigh over 1 ton! You can often hear walrus bellowing at each other from a distance.
- Ectotherms
- Endotherm Animals
- Torpor
- Hibernation
- Other Strategies
- Insects and Other Invertebrates
- Lower Vertebrates
Behavioural and complex biochemical responses to deepening cold and other environmental factors allow ectothermic animals to survive winter in the temperate zones of Canada.
Birds and mammals tend to either escape winter by migrating south (for example many birds and barren-ground caribou, which leave the tundra and enter the Boreal Forest) or endure winter by either being active, entering periods of torpor or hibernating. Heat is lost through conduction (direct transfer), convection (heat carried away by the movement ...
Some winter-active mammals (shrews and deer mice), and birds (chickadees), undergo nightly torpor by dropping their body temperatures a few degrees to reduce heat loss. black bears, which accumulate fat to supply energy during winter, are deep sleepers because their temperatures remain nearly normal although respiration and heart rates decrease sha...
Hibernation, during which metabolism may be only 1-5% of normal, is marked by body temperatures 20° C or more below normal (hypothermia). Respiration and heart rates drop to low levels and become irregular. Woodchucks may breathe 10 times per hour, their hearts slow to 4-5 beats per minute and internal temperatures drop to a few degrees above freez...
Apart from growing more hair (underfur) or feathers (down) during winter, birds and mammals rely on behavioural strategies for staying warm. Mammals curl up, draw their legs in under them and cover their nose with their tail to conserve heat. Some birds and mammals will huddle together to conserve heat. Physiological reactions of endotherms to chil...
A period of arrested growth and development (diapause) characterizes the life cycle of most insectsthat winter in egg, larval, pupal or, uncommonly, adult stages. Generally, overwintering insects are either freeze-susceptible (freeze-intolerant) and cannot survive ice formation in their tissues, or they are freeze-tolerant. Freeze-susceptible insec...
Freshwater fish, either semidormant (eels) or active through an elevated metabolism, are protected under the ice by their body fluids, which freeze at a lower temperature than fresh water. Marine fish migrate to deeper water or, like cod, sculpinand flounder, produce antifreeze compounds (peptides or glycopeptides) for resistance to freezing in ice...
- Little Brown Bats. Scientific name: Myotis lucifugus. Hibernation period: 5 to 6 months. While some bat species migrate to warmer places during the winter, the Little Brown bat will tough out the cold by hibernating in caves or mines with high humidity.
- Eastern Chipmunks. Scientific name: Tamias striatus. Hibernation period: 4 months. You can find the Eastern chipmunk in wooded areas and parks in eastern North America.
- Groundhogs. Scientific name: Marmota monax. Hibernation period: up to 5 months. Groundhogs, also known as Woodchucks, live only in the wild of North America and are known for their extensive tunneling systems.
- Hedgehogs. Scientific name: Erinaceus europaeus. Hibernation period: 5 months. Hedgehogs, like the European hedgehog, are spiny animals that are around 7.8 to 9.8 inches long.
- Bears. Everyone knows about hibernating bears. They are probably the most famous of all hibernating animals. The funny thing is, bears do not truly hibernate; they go into light hibernation because they occasionally wake up and even venture outside for 5-7 months.
- Bats. Hibernating bats can sleep in caves but also human structures like barns, attics, and even inside wall spaces for up to six months. When awake, bats have a staggering heart rate of about 400 beats per minute.
- Deer Mice. Deer mice are light hibernators that sleep in groups to share body heat. They may sleep all day or venture out to forage for food at night.
- Chipmunks. Chipmunks enter something similar to light hibernation or torpor. They keep stored food nearby to eat when they wake up during their four months of hibernation.
Some animals remain and stay active in the winter. They must adapt to the changing weather. Many make changes in their behavior or bodies. To keep warm, animals may grow new, thicker fur in the fall. On weasels and snowshoe rabbits, the new fur is white to help them hide in the snow. Food is hard to find in the winter.
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Jan 8, 2018 · For five years, Cool Green Science has been connecting you to nature: we share the science behind common natural phenomena so that you can better understand the creatures in your neighborhood, and suggest nature adventures that provide richer experiences with wildlife. Winter in northern climes is not always pleasant, but it can also be one of ...
