Tell your member of Congress that they need to pass a funding bill so that vital wildlife conservation, environmental protection and many other vital services can continue. Wake up! Sleep secrets from the animal kingdom.Could we hibernate? – A great question and something I’ve been pondering with all these rainy days.Here’s a great guide explaining the difference between torpor and hibernation.Indiana bats hibernate in special sites called hibernacula (what a cool name!). Though this one clearly isn’t going anywhere. Elephant seals may actually sleep while they are on the move. Raccoons do not hibernate in the winter, but they can. Wolves in northern climates can rest comfortably in open areas at −40° by placing their muzzles between the rear legs and covering their faces with their tail. Raccoon is an English word adapted from Powhatan meaning: animal that scratches with its hands. A wolf’s winter fur is highly resistant to cold. The one pictured below really isn’t a good example of that though. Raccoons are primarily nocturnal but can occasionally be seen active during the day. This one is not hurt- just trying to stay cool. Gray squirrels do not hibernate, nor do they store a lot of body fat– so this is why they collect and scatter, and hoard thousands of acorns. Sea lion and pup sleeping on rocks of Galapagos Islands. To avoid overheating during the day, sea lions will take refuge from the sun under vegetation, rocks, and cliffs. Does will often leave young fawns to avoid attracting predators to their location. (Photo by Brian Hefele)2. Fawns instinctively lie motionless when approached by a potential predator. Also -when they “shutdown” they are completely covered. Young raccoons, with very little body fat, are very vulnerable during these periods, and many don’t make it through the winter. They instead spend extended periods of time in their dens during cold weather. They not only sleep and hibernate in the litter, but also tunnel through it. Unlike many mammals in their habitats, raccoons don’t hibernate. They have hairless, prehensile tails which they can use to grasp tree branches. Opossum (Didelphis virginiana): The opossum is the only marsupial (or pouched mammal) in Wisconsin. Eastern box turtles spend nights concealed in a shallow depression in soil or leaf litter. Raccoons may be trapped during a limited, regulated season with the proper license, though animals causing damage may be removed during other times of the year. 8 Random Facts About Animal “Shutdowns”ġ. These albino raccoons are rare, accounting for only about 1 in 10,000 births. Did you know Some raccoons are born with all-white colouring. The colour of their fur varies from grey to brown, black and red. While our government is still hibernating, I wanted to highlight some fascinating ways wildlife “shutdown”. Because raccoons do not hibernate, the accumulated fat stores help them survive the winter.
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