When the weather grows chilly, I imagine chipmunks snug in their burrows, peacefully sleeping away the cold winter months. During autumn they spend their time gathering food to last the long, cold winter. I like chipmunks. I like their small size. I like their soft earthy colors. I like their spunk and energy. In […]
hibernation
Gossamer Butterfly Family (Lycaenidae)
Gossamer Wing family butterfly is called the “gossamers” because some of the butterflies have wings, which are so sheer and delicate the wings look like the soft, filmy, sheer fabric called gossamer. They are also called “the little butterflies” because many butterflies in the family are small with wing spans of ⅞” to 2’’ (22 […]
Speedy Chipmunk
I took this photo of an Eastern Chipmunk in November before they went into hibernation. I liked the way the stripes seemed to stream past in one fluid motion. We have always been taught that Chipmunks hibernated. I found out this was not the case. Chipmunks experience torpor, a period of deep sleep. Chipmunks alternate between periods […]
Insects in Winter
Every once in a while, an insect surprises us by flying or crawling in our houses in the middle of winter. We always seem to ask where did he come from? What do Insects do in the winter? I turned to, Winter: An Ecological Handbook by James C. Halfpenny and Roy Douglas Ozanne to […]
Hibernation is Suspended Animation
Hibernation is how many animals spend the winter. During the cold winter months it is quiet outdoors. Most of the summer birds have flown south to warmer climates. Frogs, turtles and bears have disappeared. Both warm and cold-blooded animals retreat to burrows, dens and winter shelter. There are many animals which pass the cold months […]