How Animals Prepare For the Winter Months Ahead

You may get out your favorite fall sweaters and trade your summer shorts for leggings in the fall, but animals are also busy adapting to fall weather patterns. Consider these unique ways that animals adapt to autumn weather.

Bird Migration

Some species of birds migrate to areas with warmer temperatures in the fall. For example, the Arctic tern flies approximately 27,000 miles from Antarctica to Southern Canada to get to warmer temperatures. Meanwhile, the bar-tailed godwit often flies more than 7,000 miles from Alaska to New Zealand without stopping.

Birds rely on various things to tell them when it is time to migrate, including shorter daylight hours, changes in atmospheric pressure and hormone production in their bodies.

Fish Migration

While you may know that birds and butterflies migrate, you may be surprised to learn that some fish species also migrate. Increased rainfall and changes in temperature tell the fish when it is time to migrate.

Especially species that live in the ocean rely on favorable winds to reach their destinations. Scientists know that many of the 64 species of flying fish change the direction of their glide through the water based on wind direction.

Bat Hibernation

While you may think about bears hibernating, some species of bats also hibernate. When temperatures drop, some bats enter a state of tupor, where their metabolism and heart rates decrease dramatically.

Bats often hibernate in large clusters, called hibernacula, to rely on each other's body heat. When bats hibernate, they frequently do not urinate, which helps their bodies stay hydrated.

While not a fish species, the ocean water temperature helps determine the sex of many species of sea turtles. More females are born when the water is warmer, but if the water is cooler, more males are born.

Groundhog Hibernation

Groundhogs living in colder climates hibernate during the winter. Like bears, they eat large amounts of food in the fall to prepare their bodies for hibernation. In addition to eating more, they also seek foods with more calories. Usually, groundhogs eat 33% of their body weight during this period, which scientists call hyperphagia.

While groundhogs are hibernating, their bodies go into tupor. The local climate and the amount of food available in the late summer and fall determines how long groundhogs hibernate. If food has been plentiful and the weather is cold, groundhogs can hibernate for up to six months.

Spider Ballooning

While not exclusive only to fall, some spiders engage in spider ballooning. This behavior is more common in the fall when autumn breezes, and colder temperatures make it easier for spiders to fly through the air.

When a spider prepares to go ballooning, it spins a special silk thread. Then, it raises its abdomen and releases the thread. It uses the thread as a sail to move through the air. Using the sail allows some spiders to go several miles into the air.

Eventually, it comes down and starts a new spider colony. This behavior is why the same spider species is seen in many diverse environments.

Beaver Home Maintenance

While you may prepare your home so that cold winter winds do not get in, beavers also prepare their homes during the fall. First, beavers use their strong teeth and jaws to cut down suitable building materials.

Then, they use autumn rains to put mud on the outside of their structures. The mud helps to stop cold water and wind from entering their homes.

Beavers live together as social units, often consisting of the parents and their offspring, called kits. These offspring work together as a unit to accomplish tasks. Older beavers usually do most of the heavy moving, while younger ones carry smaller branches.

Arctic Foxes Change Colors

If you see an Arctic fox in the warmer months, its coat will be a brownish tan, but it turns white when the temperature turns cold. This helps to protect the fox because it keeps them better camouflaged. In addition, their winter coat is much thicker and fluffier than their summer one. This helps to keep them better insulated against winter's bitter cold.

Like many other animals, arctic foxes hoard food for the winter months when it is harder to find.

In the fall, they use their strong paws and teeth to dig holes in the ground. Then, they put excess food in the hole and cover it back up. When food is harder to find in the winter, they return to these caches for dinner. Additionally, Arctic foxes may change the distance they cover to hunt for food.

When temperatures are warmer in the spring and summer, they usually hunt in a small area, but they cover a much larger area when it gets colder. While there is some variability, Arctic foxes generally hunt in about six square miles, but in the winter, they usually hunt in an area covering approximately 100 square miles.

Animals use pretty fall weather to prepare for winter. Some make long-distance trips to get out of an area before winter arrives, while others reinforce their homes against winter's onslaught. Many animals put away food for snowy winter days when food is harder to find.

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