Don’t we all wish we could hibernate during the cold winter months? Unlike us, these furry critters can. Keep your eyes open for these five hibernating animals this winter season.
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Deer mice have short lives and light hibernation periods, entering a state of light torpor instead of full hibernation. Even though they don’t completely hibernate, they still appear pretty sluggish, as their body temperature falls several degrees during torpor. Between daily snuggles and shared heat, deer mice save a lot of energy.
They’re known to enter domestic spaces looking for warmth. They’re more nocturnal than diurnal, so expect to see them during the night. They’re bundled up from morning to late afternoon, leaving at night to go out in search of food. While they’re active, they’re busy putting on body fat and storing seeds.
The grey squirrel, which can be spotted throughout southern Ontario, uses its bushy tail and thick, long winter coat to stay warm. It remains in its den on severely cold days, but it ventures outside on warmer ones.
There are many different types of squirrels, but not all enter full hibernation. Studies have shown that some squirrels enter hibernation as a response to a change in blood temperature, and males actually come out of hibernation first, followed by their female counterparts.
On warmer winter days, don’t be surprised to come across a raccoon. Slightly warmer weather, combined with hunger, pulls them out of their dens. Temperatures that isn’t so bone-chilling makes foraging for food easier.
Raccoons also enter torpor: The state of hibernation that allows them to wake up and go outside when the weather isn’t too frigid. When they do sleep, it can last up to a month at a time. Their thick winter coats and ample stored fat help them sleep longer—a strategy that keeps them comfortable throughout the winter season. Raccoons are resourceful when it comes to finding a winter den: so ensure you keep them out of your yard and home this season.
Chipmunks spend the fall season gathering an ample food supply and spend most of the winter sleeping and waking up as needed. Unlike some wildlife, they don’t fully hibernate. They wake up every few days to eat, popping in and out to dig into their cache of food.
When they do enter hibernation, their body temperature drops and their heartbeat slows down significantly. Chipmunks don’t store fat like other hibernating animals, which is one of the reasons you’ll see them periodically throughout the winter.
Skunks also spend the autumn season storing as much food as possible and occasionally wake up from their den to eat during the winter. They search for places that look convenient to stay warm in, commonly living in ground burrows, hollow logs, and under decks. They’re cozy inside their burrow, settling down during the cold season.
Like the other animals on this list, skunks enter torpor, reducing their metabolism, breathing, and heartbeat, although it’s not to the same degree as animals that fully hibernate. They become pretty inactive, eating little and sleeping a lot. If skunks aren’t snowed in, they’ll leave their dens to forage for food, but it’s less frequent than during warmer months. Nighttime foraging is their preferred hour, so you’re more likely to come across this striped critter in the dark than during the middle of the day.
If you see a critter hibernating in or around your home, try not to disturb it. While you’re limited now in terms of removing your houseguests, you can still call animal removal services to remove wildlife and prevent re-entry. They’ll pinpoint problem areas and create an action plan for the spring.
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