How do critters survive when it's really cold?

[Droopy]

It has already become bitterly cold here in Ohio. "Bitterly" cold is weatherman talk for, "Goddamn, it's fucking cold!" Got down in the teens last night and we have appeared to have hit an overnight low of 21 tonight. There's a cat sitting out back outside and it got me wondering about how animals survive the winters. I opened the door to let the little thing in, but it appears to be too leary despite the comforting warmth inside.

So, I'm a trucker not a biologist. Someone explain it to me. That fur can't be that warm.

[Indi Guy]

1. Fear trumps comfort -- Rove understood...

;)

[alphafemale]

2. Quite well. Central heat is a fairly recent evolutionary concept afterall.

:hi:

[Droopy]

4. Yeah, but we've got fire for a back-up.

And buffalo hides.

[alphafemale]

7. And those hides had a previous owner.

Who probably thought they worked quite nicely.

:hi:

I do wonder how our early ancestors managed BEFORE fire...maybe we didn't leave Africa before then.

[Deja Q]

3. They hibernate or hump.

:shrug:

[deucemagnet]

5. Droopy, I am a biologist, and it still amazes me.

It was 12 the last time I checked in on the "how cold is it" thread, and it's 10 now. There are still geese on the part of the lake that isn't frozen, and I couldn't even get my cat outside with the help of my foot.

Sometimes I think it just amazes us so much because we're naked, tropical creatures who never would have ventured outside of Africa if it wasn't for the fact that we can make fire, clothe ourselves, and eat just about anything the land offers.

[Droopy]

6. lol!

:D

[Blue Diadem]

8. Some get under bushes or up in car engines or wheel wells for warmth.

I can't imagine how they survive and how cold their little paws and ears must get. I hate seeing animals outside with no shelter in the cold, especially dogs and cats, but I can't help but wonder how the rest,(squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, deer etc.) survive the cold.

[old mark]

9. We feed squirrels and birds in our yard, and right now they are

very puffed up - the birds fluff their feathers to trap air, and theis provides great insluation to keep in body heat.
The squirrels have grown undercoats of downlike fur, providing much the same function - think of them as having down vests.

Our dog has grown an amazing thick coat this fall, much thicker than I remember from past years.
Do they know what to expect?


mark

[Blue Diadem]

10. I didn't even think about the wild animals getting their winter coats

like dogs do. Duh, the things I don't think about.

This season seems to be much colder so far and it does seem like nature automatically provides a way for our animal friends to stay warmer.

Now I'm wondering if birds get some sort of extra downy feather or something for winter.

[stuntcat]

13. "puffed up"

I was noticing yesterday some of our squirrels look very FAT all of a sudden!! They know how to make it thru winter :headbang:

[zanne]

11. We have a barn cat (feral) and I worry about her every winter.

Three winters have gone by, and somehow she makes it just fine. We feed her both hard and canned food every day and supply her with fresh water. (It usually freezes after awhile). I always open the door wide for her every time she comes on our back porch to eat but she won't come inside. I feel like saying "Get your furry little butt in here!". Naturally, she's terrified of people and everything else that isn't "outside".

I think about her at night and hope that she has a warm place to sleep.

[Blue Diadem]

14. My granddaughter's other grandma began using storage tubs

with an opening cut in the end for her barn cats. She puts straw inside for them. Some of the ferals like to use them, others don't. For a long while, it seemed every cat in the country was showing up at her place. She spent several years trapping females and having them spayed.

I'm glad you're taking care of your barn kitty. I always worry about the hungry little animals.

[stuntcat]

12. we made a shelter yesterday

we leaned some big boards against the poles holding our porch up and then we wrapped that all in a tarp and put another smaller weatherproof box inside that with a little dish of dry cat food. I feel sorry for the ferrel cats around here, someone screwed up bad by not getting their cat fixed. I can't do much for the guys out there now.. I really wonder how they make it through the nights lately. They share the water I give the birds, but that's been freezing up in the middle of the day now.

I really don't see how those kitties will make it, a couple have already disappeared somehow. The squirrels must have secrets to survive though, they come out and eat their squirrel food every morning!

[nuxvomica]

15. This post may answer your question:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=8264163&mesg_id=8264163

[dawgmom]

16. Depends on the breed, I think

I have northern breed, double-coated dogs -- Samoyeds. In the heat of the summer, they rarely go outside except to take care of nature's call, and then scurry back inside to the air conditioning. On the otherhand, once the cold sets in, as it did this week with temps below freezing, they are outside all the time. They even prefer to sleep outside at night. They'll move up onto the deck when it gets really bitter in the middle of the night, and eventually around 2:00 a.m or so they'll move inside for a while, but not always. Note: they come and go at will, through a dog door on the back of the house.

[Jamastiene]

17. They come inside our heated homes if they can.

They huff their feathers or fur up.
They eat as much as they can to build up fat reserves. Fat helps with warmth too.
They build bigger and thicker nests, or stuff their burrows with straw and other goodies to help keep warm.
Some hibernate.
Some do die from the cold or injuries that cause the cold to affect them worse than normal.

I swear every breathing critter in my neighborhood knows me by name or something.

Plants have their methods too.

Even the wisteria pods in my backyard have been converted into catapults to hurl the seeds as close to my house as they can get. I spent quite a bit of time picking up wisteria seeds today and still couldn't find them all. It's like my place is under fire with the wisteria seeds flying everywhere like bullets or something. OMG, the triffids never stop in my yard. They are pre-planning to make my life a living hell come spring and summer.