Have fun brainstorming the word ‘Winter’ Have fun brainstorming the word ‘Winter’! Think about the weather, our clothes, plants and animals for example. Winter

Hibernation: What is it? Hibernation is a time when animals sleep through cold weather. This sleep is not like human sleep where you move and loud noises can wake you up.  With true hibernation, the animal can be moved around or touched and not know it! The animal appears dead. Some animals hibernate for the whole of Winter and don’t wake up until the Spring.

Hibernation: How do the animals prepare for it? During the Autumn, hibernating animals eat lots of food and store it as fat in their bodies. They live off this fat as they hibernate.  The animal will use up the stored body fat but not lose any muscle.  This means the animal is thinner when it comes out of hibernation but still as strong as it was in the Autumn. In the Autumn the animals also get their winter nests, dens and burrrows ready.  Different kinds of animals hibernate in different kinds of safe spots.  When they go into hibernation and their bodies slow down, enemies can get them easier.  So they try to pick the safest place to spend the winter.

Hibernation: Why do some animals hibernate? In lots of countries food is very hard to find and the weather is very cold in the Winter. Animals must be able to live through this cold or they will die.  So some animals go into a very deep sleep called hibernation so that they will survive the Winter.    

Hibernation: What happens the animals when they hibernate? Food gives animals the energy they need to walk, run, hunt for food, and lots of other things.  Hibernating animals store food as body fat during the end of summer and during fall.  This body fat runs their bodies all winter.  This would be impossible if they stayed awake, moved around a lot, or ran around because those things would use up the body fat before winter was over. When an animal begins to hibernate, its body temperature drops very low so that it almost matches the temperature outside. The animal’s heartbeat and breathing slow down, too. The stored fat lasts longer because their bodies are slowed down so much that they don’t need much energy.  This is how the animal makes it through the whole winter on the fat it has stored in its body.  This is why it's important for animals to get enough food stored in the Autumn.  If there is a shortage of food at that time, the animal might not live until spring when it can find its food again.    

Hibernation: What animals hibernate?