How to enjoy winter: 5 lessons from wildlife

The guide outlines five 'lessons' from wildlife to help humans navigate winter, focusing on energy conservation, active engagement with the environment, heat retention, resource preparation, and migration. It details specific animal behaviors—such as the torpor of brown bears, the insulating layers of musk oxen, and the migration of monarch butterflies—to suggest corresponding human mindsets for the season.

• Some animals survive winter by entering states of reduced activity and metabolism. Brown bears undergo a four-to-six-month slumber, while 'true hibernators' like some bats, hedgehogs, ground squirrels, and marmots remain in a prolonged state of torpor. Wood frogs in northern Alaska and Canada use glucose as a "natural antifreeze" to freeze solid during winter.
• Various species are physically adapted to remain active and playful in snowy environments. Snowshoe hares use large, furry hind legs to reach speeds of 30 miles per hour, and snow leopards use thick coats and oversized paws to navigate the Himalayan mountains. Emperor penguins and river otters utilize waterproof outer layers to slide across ice and snow, while Japanese macaques engage in social play and use hot springs for warmth.
• Animals employ diverse insulation methods to maintain body heat. Musk oxen have two-layered coats featuring a dense underwool called qiviut, and walruses develop blubber layers up to six inches thick. Social birds, such as penguins, huddle in tight groups for communal warmth.
• Certain animals reduce winter stress by caching resources in advance. Beavers build lodges and store food caches under ice, American pikas collect and dry vegetation in hay piles that can exceed 60 pounds, and acorn woodpeckers store over 50,000 acorns in 'granary trees'.
• Migration is a primary strategy for avoiding cold temperatures. Monarch butterflies travel up to 3,000 miles from the US and Canada to Mexico and California. Sandhill cranes migrate to southern US states and Mexico, while North Atlantic right whales move from New England and Canada to the waters off Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina for calving.
• Bison in the Great Plains facilitate the movement of other grazers, such as elk and pronghorns, by using their size and insulating fur to plow through deep snow and create 'highways'.

APA

Cho, C. (n.d.). How to enjoy winter: 5 lessons from wildlife. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-to-enjoy-winter-5-lessons-from-wildlife/

Chicago

Cho, Callie. How to enjoy winter: 5 lessons from wildlife. WWF International, n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-to-enjoy-winter-5-lessons-from-wildlife/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cho |first1=Callie |title=How to enjoy winter: 5 lessons from wildlife |publisher=WWF International |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-to-enjoy-winter-5-lessons-from-wildlife/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chondhow, author = {Cho, Callie}, title = {{How to enjoy winter: 5 lessons from wildlife}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-to-enjoy-winter-5-lessons-from-wildlife/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }