Yesterday, the day's high temperature was 10 below zero. This morning, our thermometer read 28 below zero.
So, not much snow, but it's COLD. The most recent issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine has an article about how animals are able to adapt to Wisconsin's wild winters. How would we feel with "just the fur, fins, or feathers on your back?"
"Toughening it out when the temperatures drop."
Frogs: Most burrow in below the frost line. But the gray tree frog has natural antifreeze in its body which prevents it from freezing and bursting. Then, they defrost in warmer weather.
Insects: Ants stay alive in their underground cities, beneath the frozen ground. Wasps overwinter in the larvae stage, provided with food by the adults before they died.
Worms: They can stay alive by burrowing beneath the frost line.
Fish: Deep lakes provide plenty of oxygen beneath the ice. Some shallow lakes experience winter fish kill when too little water remains under the ice cover.
Birds: Small birds fluff out their feathers and can also shiver like people do. They need to feed almost constantly, as they burn to many calories to maintain their body temperatures.
Eagles: Most winter near open water where they can fish; thus, all the eagles that can be seen by locks and dams on the Mississippi River.
Turtles: Their metabolism slows down and they take fewer breaths, and if possible, burrow in.
Bears: Heart rate declines from 40 to 10 beats per minute, and body temp falls from 104 degrees to 91 degrees.
Personally, I'm thankful for a home with effective insulation, a wood or gas fireplace, giving me plenty of warmth to curl up and read a good book!