What animals like winter?

Source: A Year of Hands-on Science.

Animals in Winter

Scavenger Hunt

How do animals cope with winter? Have students work with partners on an Animals in Winter scavenger hunt.

Give each team a list of five animals. Have students use class and library resources to locate three pieces of information on each animal:

Does the animal hibernate, enter dormancy, or remain active in winter?

What is the animal's winter habitat?

What are the animal's winter sources of food?

A starter list follows.

Little Brown Bat (hibernates; in a cave or mine; does not need food for winter)

Black Bear (dormant; finds shelter in caves or in roots under fallen trees; stores food as fat for winter)

Meadow Mouse (active; tunnels under snow; eats seeds, roots, and stems)

Striped Skunk (dormant; winters in fields and woods; eats insects, roots, berries, small animals)

Woodchuck (hibernates; burrows below frost line; doesn't need food)

Snowshoe Hare (active; winters in woods and brush; eats bark, buds, own droppings)