Animals do many different, amazing things to get through the winter. Some of them “migrate.” This means that they travel to other places where the weather is warmer or where they can find food.
Many birds migrate in autumn. Because the trip can be dangerous, some travel in large groups. For example, geese fly in noisy, “V” – shaped groups. Other kinds of birds fly alone.
Some animals stay active in winter. They must change themselves as weather changes. Many change their doing or their bodies. For example, Snowshoe rabbits grow white fur to help them hide in the snow.
Food is hard to find in winter. Some animals, like mice, collect lots of food in autumn and store it to eat later. Some animals eat different kinds of food as the seasons change. The red fox eats fruit and insects in spring, summer and autumn. In winter, it can not find these things, so instead it eats small animals.
Some animals “hibernate” for part or all of the winter. This is a special, very deep sleep. The animal’s body temperature drops, and it’s heartbeat and breathing slow down. It uses very little energy. In autumn, these animals get ready for winter by eating much more food than in summer and storing it as body fat. They use this fat to keep them alive while hibernating. Some also store food like nuts to eat later in winter. Bears and some bats hibernate.
Cold-blooded animals like fish, frogs and snakes have no way to keep warm during the winter. Snakes find protection in holes, and spend the winter without moving during the whole season.
Water makes good protection for many animals. When the weather gets cold, they move to the bottom of lakes and rivers. There, frogs and many fish hide under rocks or fallen leaves. Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water, and frogs can breathe through their skin.
Every type of insect has its own life cycle, which is the way it grows and changes. Different insects spend the winter in different forms of their lives. Many insects also spend the winter without moving. Their growth and development stop. The insect’s heartbeat, breathing and temperature drop. Some insects spend the winter as pupae. (This is a time when insects change from one form to another.) Other insects die after laying eggs in autumn. The eggs change into new insects in spring and everything begins all over again.
1. Many birds fly in large groups because ______________ .
A. they can easily find food this way B. there is danger everywhere
C. they can get warm at night D. they will not be afraid again
2. Rabbits spend the cold winter by ______________ .
A. eating a lot B. Storing a lot of food
C. running often D. growing thicker fur
3. In the water, frogs ______________ .
A. do not breathe B. sleep and do not eat
C. breathe through their skin D. breathe through their mouths
4. Which is the best title for the passage?
A. How do animals spend the winter?
B. How do living things spend the winter?
C. How do living things get food in the winter?
D. Where do living things move in the winter?