How Do Animals Hibernate?
How Do Animals Hibernate?
Owlo, I have a question! I was walking to school today and I didn't see any squirrels. Where did they all go?
That is a wonderful observation, Koko. You noticed something that many grown-ups walk right past without thinking about.
It felt really quiet outside. Usually they're everywhere, running around and being noisy.
The squirrels are getting ready for something very special. Have you ever heard the word hibernation?
Hiber-what? That sounds like a really long word for something important.
It is important! Hibernation is when some animals go into a very deep sleep during winter to save energy.
Like when I don't want to get out of bed on cold mornings?
A little like that, but much, much deeper. Let me show you something in our science lab. I have just the right book for this.
Here we go. This book shows exactly what happens inside an animal's body during hibernation.
Wow, there's a bear on the cover! Do bears really hibernate? I always thought that was just in stories.
They really do! Before winter, bears eat enormous amounts of food to build up fat in their bodies.
So they eat a lot and then just... sleep it off?
Exactly right. That fat becomes their food supply while they sleep. Their bodies use it slowly, like a phone on low-power mode.
Oh, I know low-power mode! My tablet does that when the battery is almost gone.
That is a perfect way to think about it, Koko. During hibernation, an animal's heartbeat slows way down. Their breathing slows too.
Does it slow down for all animals the same way?
Great question. It actually depends on the animal. A hedgehog's heart can slow from two hundred beats per minute to just a few.
A few beats? That sounds really scary. Are they okay?
They are perfectly fine. Their bodies are built for it. It is completely natural and safe for them.
You know, the first time I read about hedgehog heartbeats, I had the same worried look on my face that you have right now.
So which animals hibernate? Is it just bears and hedgehogs?
There are quite a few. Bats, ground squirrels, dormice, and some frogs and turtles too. Even certain insects hibernate.
Wait, frogs? Where do frogs go? They can't dig a hole like a bear.
Some frogs actually bury themselves under mud at the bottom of ponds. Others hide under leaves and logs on the forest floor.
That's so cool. So the whole forest kind of goes quiet and cozy for winter.
What a lovely way to describe it. And when spring arrives and temperatures warm up, they all slowly wake up again.
So the squirrels I didn't see this morning, are they hibernating too?
Actually, squirrels are a fun exception. They don't truly hibernate. They sleep a lot, but they wake up to eat food they buried earlier.
They buried their snacks! That's like hiding crackers under your pillow, but smarter.
Much smarter, and probably less crumbly. Now, can you tell me what you have learned today about hibernation?
Okay! Hibernation is a super deep sleep that some animals do in winter to save energy. They slow down their heartbeat and breathing, and live off the fat they stored up by eating lots of food before winter. Bears, hedgehogs, bats, frogs, and even some insects do it. And squirrels are sneaky because they don't fully hibernate, they just nap and snack on food they hid. Next time I want to learn about how animals know when it's time to wake up in spring. Maybe they have a secret alarm clock somewhere.
That is a wonderful summary, Koko. And that question about waking up in spring is exactly the kind of thinking that great scientists have. I think we have a future researcher right here.
How Do Animals Hibernate?
Ages 6–8 · ~4 min
Join Koko and Owlo as they explore the fascinating world of hibernation and discover why some animals sleep through winter!
What you'll learn
- Understand the concept of hibernation
- Identify animals that hibernate
- Learn why animals hibernate in winter
How Do Animals Hibernate?
Ages 6–8 · ~4 min
How Do Animals Hibernate?
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