Have you ever wondered how plants and wildlife survive winter? How does a frog keep warm and what do birds do on cold and windy days with little sunlight? How do Ruffed Grouse stand on top of the snow? This time of year is a great opportunity to spend some time reading to learn about the fascinating world of winter adaptations. In the latest blog on the Farm and Wilderness Conservation website you can learn about some of the animals that can tolerate freezing of their body and those that contain special antifreeze like compounds to help them survive! Both books that are introduced bring up important vocabulary terms associated with winter ecology that are often unknown to most readers such as subnivian, thermoregulation, and non-shivering thermogenesis. Find out which books are discussed, check them out, and next time you are out on a winter hike or walk, you may feel more inclined to observe the changes and adaptations around you and appreciate the miraculous events that are occurring under the ice or snow.
(Adapted from the Conservation Blog - Click here for the full version on fwcvt.org)