How does a woodchuck survive in winter?
ANSWER: Woodchucks HIBERNATE.
Woodchucks hibernate in winter. They eat mostly plants, grasses, and fruits, which are not available in the winter. Woodchucks eat as much food as they can in summer and fall to get really, really fat. Then, they crawl into their burrows to sleep from October until February.
Woodchucks are very slow animals. It takes a Woodchuck a really long time to get anywhere, so they stay very close to their burrows in order to stay safe.
(photo from National Geographic.com)
Ask and answer:
- Why do Woodchucks hibernate?
- Do you think that Woodchucks could migrate instead of hibernate? Why or why not?
Questions about Woodchucks from Mrs. Burns's Kindergarten class:
- Why are Woodchucks so slow?
Click here to read more about groundhogs in Illinois.
Woodchucks hibernate in winter. They eat mostly plants, grasses, and fruits, which are not available in the winter. Woodchucks eat as much food as they can in summer and fall to get really, really fat. Then, they crawl into their burrows to sleep from October until February.
Woodchucks are very slow animals. It takes a Woodchuck a really long time to get anywhere, so they stay very close to their burrows in order to stay safe.
(photo from National Geographic.com)
Ask and answer:
- Why do Woodchucks hibernate?
- Do you think that Woodchucks could migrate instead of hibernate? Why or why not?
Questions about Woodchucks from Mrs. Burns's Kindergarten class:
- Why are Woodchucks so slow?
Click here to read more about groundhogs in Illinois.