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Some animals
"hibernate" for part or all of the winter. This is a special,
very deep sleep. The animal's body temperature drops, and its
heartbeat and breathing slow down. It uses very little energy.
In the fall, these animals get ready for winter by eating extra
food and storing it as body fat. They use this fat for energy
while hibernating. Some also store food like nuts or acorns to
eat later in the winter. Bears, skunks, chipmunks, and some bats
hibernate.
Insects look
for winter shelter in holes in the ground, under the bark of trees,
deep inside rotting logs or in any small crack they can find.
One of the most interesting places is in a gall. A gall is a swelling
on a plant. It is caused by certain insects, fungi or bacteria.
They make a chemical that affects the plant's growth in a small
area, forming a lump. The gall becomes its maker's home and food
source.
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