





























See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Chasing warmer climates
- Birds like geese and monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles to escape harsh winters and find food in warmer regions.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Stockpiling food supplies
- Squirrels and chipmunks hoard nuts and seeds in preparation for winter, ensuring they have a steady food supply when resources are scarce.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Sleeping through winter
- Many animals, like bears and groundhogs, hibernate during winter. They slow their metabolism, lower body temperature, and conserve energy while living off stored fat reserves.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Short-term energy savings
- Some animals, such as hummingbirds and bats, enter a state called torpor, a temporary, daily hibernation-like condition. This dramatically reduces their metabolic rate and energy needs, enabling them to survive cold nights with minimal energy expenditure.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Freezing without dying
- Wood frogs survive winter by freezing almost completely. Their bodies produce glucose, which acts like antifreeze, protecting their organs until they thaw in spring.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Building underground homes
- Many animals, like moles and rabbits, burrow underground to escape freezing temperatures. These shelters provide insulation and protection from predators.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Thick winter coats
- Mammals like foxes and deer grow thicker, insulated fur during winter to retain heat and shield themselves from the cold.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Camouflage
- Animals like the Arctic fox and snowshoe hare change fur color to white, blending with snowy surroundings and staying safe from predators.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Group warmth strategies
- Penguins and bees huddle together in tight groups to share body heat, conserving energy during freezing weather conditions.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Cooling down to avoid freezing
- Some insects, like beetles, avoid freezing by replacing water in their cells with glycerol, which lowers the freezing point of their body fluids.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Winter fat storage
- Animals like bears and seals bulk up before winter, storing fat to keep them warm and nourished when food is unavailable.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Energy-efficient movement
- Deer and elk conserve energy by reducing unnecessary movements and sticking to well-worn paths during deep snow.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Living beneath layers of snow
- Voles and mice create tunnels under snow, which acts as an insulating blanket, keeping them warmer than the open air above.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Using stored oxygen under ice
- Turtles and frogs survive in frozen ponds by absorbing oxygen through their skin or slowing their metabolism to live without it.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Feather insulation
- Birds like puffins fluff up their feathers to trap warm air close to their bodies, acting as natural insulation.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Laying eggs for spring
- Insects like praying mantises lay eggs in protective cases before winter, ensuring their offspring hatch in favorable conditions.
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Reducing heart rate
- Some animals, like bears, drastically slow their heart rate during hibernation to conserve energy and reduce calorie consumption.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Organ storage for energy
- Certain fish, like carp, store energy in their livers during autumn, helping them survive when food is scarce.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Seasonal diet changes
- Herbivores, like moose, switch their diet to bark, twigs, and other less nutritious food sources when their usual food sources become unavailable.
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Sunbathing for warmth
- Cold-blooded animals like lizards seek sunny spots to absorb heat and regulate their body temperature during chilly days.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Thick skin for warmth
- Animals like walruses have thick skin and a layer of blubber that insulates them against icy waters and freezing winds.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Collective food sharing
- Ant colonies gather food in advance and work together to ration resources throughout the winter months.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Mimicking dormancy
- Reptiles like snakes brumate—a hibernation-like state where they reduce activity but remain semi-alert to environmental changes.
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Evaporating water to stay warm
- Sea otters use their dense fur to trap air and wick away water, keeping their skin dry and insulated even in icy seas.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Relying on snow insulation
- Arctic foxes curl into compact shapes and use snow as a natural blanket, minimizing heat loss during frigid nights.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Sheltering in caves
- Bats retreat to caves, which provide a stable, above-freezing temperature ideal for hibernation or dormancy.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Basking rocks for amphibians
- Frogs and toads seek out warm rocks or areas that retain heat to stay active during mild winter days.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Pause on development
- Certain insects, like the monarch butterfly, enter diapause, a suspended developmental stage, to survive freezing temperatures and scarce resources. Triggered by environmental cues like shorter days, diapause helps monarchs endure winter until favorable conditions return.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Communal nesting for warmth
- Small mammals like squirrels share dens during winter, combining body heat to survive freezing conditions. Sources: (National Geographic) (Discover Magazine) See also: These animals travel the furthest
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Chasing warmer climates
- Birds like geese and monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles to escape harsh winters and find food in warmer regions.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Stockpiling food supplies
- Squirrels and chipmunks hoard nuts and seeds in preparation for winter, ensuring they have a steady food supply when resources are scarce.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Sleeping through winter
- Many animals, like bears and groundhogs, hibernate during winter. They slow their metabolism, lower body temperature, and conserve energy while living off stored fat reserves.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Short-term energy savings
- Some animals, such as hummingbirds and bats, enter a state called torpor, a temporary, daily hibernation-like condition. This dramatically reduces their metabolic rate and energy needs, enabling them to survive cold nights with minimal energy expenditure.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Freezing without dying
- Wood frogs survive winter by freezing almost completely. Their bodies produce glucose, which acts like antifreeze, protecting their organs until they thaw in spring.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Building underground homes
- Many animals, like moles and rabbits, burrow underground to escape freezing temperatures. These shelters provide insulation and protection from predators.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Thick winter coats
- Mammals like foxes and deer grow thicker, insulated fur during winter to retain heat and shield themselves from the cold.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Camouflage
- Animals like the Arctic fox and snowshoe hare change fur color to white, blending with snowy surroundings and staying safe from predators.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Group warmth strategies
- Penguins and bees huddle together in tight groups to share body heat, conserving energy during freezing weather conditions.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Cooling down to avoid freezing
- Some insects, like beetles, avoid freezing by replacing water in their cells with glycerol, which lowers the freezing point of their body fluids.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Winter fat storage
- Animals like bears and seals bulk up before winter, storing fat to keep them warm and nourished when food is unavailable.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Energy-efficient movement
- Deer and elk conserve energy by reducing unnecessary movements and sticking to well-worn paths during deep snow.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Living beneath layers of snow
- Voles and mice create tunnels under snow, which acts as an insulating blanket, keeping them warmer than the open air above.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Using stored oxygen under ice
- Turtles and frogs survive in frozen ponds by absorbing oxygen through their skin or slowing their metabolism to live without it.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Feather insulation
- Birds like puffins fluff up their feathers to trap warm air close to their bodies, acting as natural insulation.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Laying eggs for spring
- Insects like praying mantises lay eggs in protective cases before winter, ensuring their offspring hatch in favorable conditions.
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Reducing heart rate
- Some animals, like bears, drastically slow their heart rate during hibernation to conserve energy and reduce calorie consumption.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Organ storage for energy
- Certain fish, like carp, store energy in their livers during autumn, helping them survive when food is scarce.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Seasonal diet changes
- Herbivores, like moose, switch their diet to bark, twigs, and other less nutritious food sources when their usual food sources become unavailable.
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Sunbathing for warmth
- Cold-blooded animals like lizards seek sunny spots to absorb heat and regulate their body temperature during chilly days.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Thick skin for warmth
- Animals like walruses have thick skin and a layer of blubber that insulates them against icy waters and freezing winds.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Collective food sharing
- Ant colonies gather food in advance and work together to ration resources throughout the winter months.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Mimicking dormancy
- Reptiles like snakes brumate—a hibernation-like state where they reduce activity but remain semi-alert to environmental changes.
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Evaporating water to stay warm
- Sea otters use their dense fur to trap air and wick away water, keeping their skin dry and insulated even in icy seas.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Relying on snow insulation
- Arctic foxes curl into compact shapes and use snow as a natural blanket, minimizing heat loss during frigid nights.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Sheltering in caves
- Bats retreat to caves, which provide a stable, above-freezing temperature ideal for hibernation or dormancy.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Basking rocks for amphibians
- Frogs and toads seek out warm rocks or areas that retain heat to stay active during mild winter days.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Pause on development
- Certain insects, like the monarch butterfly, enter diapause, a suspended developmental stage, to survive freezing temperatures and scarce resources. Triggered by environmental cues like shorter days, diapause helps monarchs endure winter until favorable conditions return.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Communal nesting for warmth
- Small mammals like squirrels share dens during winter, combining body heat to survive freezing conditions. Sources: (National Geographic) (Discover Magazine) See also: These animals travel the furthest
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
Winter survival methods of various animals
Do you know what wild animals do during the colder months?
© Getty Images
Winter presents harsh challenges for animals, with freezing temperatures and scarce resources. To endure, they use astonishing survival strategies, from hibernation and migration to unique adaptations like torpor, fur insulation, and diapause. These incredible tactics showcase the animal kingdom's resilience, allowing creatures like bears, hummingbirds, and ants to thrive in extreme conditions.
Click on to discover how animals beat winter's chill!
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU




































MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week