Snoqualmie Valley Winter Wildlife Survival
Living Snoqualmie has a great article on Winter Wildlife Survival by Melissa Grant
Our wild valley animals must find different ways of enduring our cold winters.
There are three primary ways animals endure chilly temperatures: Hibernation, Migration and Transformation.
Hibernation
To hibernate is “to pass the winter in a torpid or resting state.” Hibernating animals need to conserve energy when food is not readily available. To achieve this energy saving, warm-blooded animals decrease their metabolic rate and body temperatures. This may last days, weeks, or months—depending on the species, temperature, time of year, and the individual’s body condition.
The term hibernation can be considered an umbrella term for many different kinds of dormancy practiced by a wide variety of animals. Western Washington Black Bears typically den from October to April after a fall feeding frenzy to put on fat called hyperphagia. Denning black bears enter a state of torpor, a drowsy condition that allows them to defend themselves (and their cubs) more effectively should a predator visit the den.
Migration
Animal migration is the seasonal movement from one habitat to another in search of food, better conditions, or reproductive needs.
According to King County, of the 164 species of birds breeding in the county, 50 are here only during the spring and summer breeding months and spend winters south of us. Many of these birds are our South and Central America Migrants.
According to All About Birds, migration can be triggered by a combination of changes in day length, lower temperatures, changes in food supplies, and genetic predisposition. Different species of birds and even segments of the population within the same species may follow different migratory patterns.
Transformation
The animals who stay and remain active undergo physical, behavioral and diet changes that help them cope with the changing weather.
Many mammals have fur with soft, dense undercoats that grow thicker in the wintertime serving as insulation against the elements. If you spot a particularly large-looking rabbit, raccoon, bobcat, cougar or coyote, it’s not likely bigger, just furrier. Overcoats are made up of guard hairs that can shed snow and absorb heat from our rarely seen sun.
This article and more can be found at Living Snoqualmie.