Hibernation

Hibernation

Food Is Scarce Many places have cold winters. Some animals in these places have trouble finding food in the winter. Food is scarce during this time. Some animals migrate to warmer places to find food and return in the spring. Other animals hibernate to survive the winter months.

What Is Hibernating? Hibernation is like a very sound sleep. Not even loud noises can wake the animals up. Hibernating animals sleep for days or weeks at a time. Hibernating animals breathe very slowly. Their hearts beat slower, they are using little energy, and they do not need to eat.

When a warm-blooded animal hibernates, its body temperature drops until it is almost as cold as the temperature outside. A cold- blooded animal's body temperature always matches the temperature outside. When a cold-blooded animal gets too cold, it hibernates.

How Do They Stay Alive? Hibernating animals eat lots of food before winter. They store the food in their bodies as fat. Their bodies live off this fat while they sleep. It takes very little energy to keep hibernating animals alive.

Where Do Animals Hibernate? Hibernating animals also need a safe place to sleep. They need to be away from the cold and hidden from hungry predators. Some animals, like bats, hibernate in caves.