The winter wonderland created by snow is beautiful when it first falls and everything is covered in its cold whiteness. But then it is walked through and played in. When the sun comes out or when it rains, the snow begins to melt and the winter wonderland is transformed in mud and slush.
Animals such as the Mexican hairless dog or the sphynx cat don’t belong in the snow. They would freeze.
But other animals are made for the snow and cold. Kronk, a German shepherd I had that passed away several years ago, used to lay in the yard while it snowed and allow it to completely cover him. He loved the snow. I don’t much like the cold and snow, but there are other animals that thrive in harsh snowy climates.
The beautiful Arctic fox—also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox—lives where the climate is harsh and the temperatures are frigid. Warmth and insulation for them are provided by their thick fur. I’m sure they appreciate their warm coat when temperatures turn from warm to freezing—it can get as cold as -94 degrees Fahrenheit.
A bit larger than the domestic cat, their fur is white only during the winter. At other times of the year, it is brown and not as thick.
The Arctic hare or polar hare lives in Greenland, the Canadian Arctic Islands, and n
In the spring, the white fur of those that live the farthest south is replaced with shorter grey-brown fur. Those that live farther north keep their white fur but it becomes shorter.
Long and slinky ermines can be found in Alaska, the northern United States, Canada, Greenland, northern Europe, and Asia. During winter, the coats of these fierce little predators turn completely white to blend in with the landscape, but the rest of the year it is usually reddish brown.
They make their homes in dens, the cracks or rocks, in the roots of trees, or in holes that are in tree trunks.
Harp seals populate three very cold areas: the Western North Atlantic, Eastern Greenland, and the White Sea off the Russian coast. A thick layer of fat beneath their skin helps them to stay warm in the frigid temperatures they endure. Young seals don’t have this layer of blubber beneath their skin. Instead, they have a layer of water-repellent fur that stays until the fat layer is present.
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I found this one fact very interesting: once a harp seal pup is weaned, its teeth will not grow unless it feeds.
The Japanese macaque is also known as the snow monkey. As you can tell from its name, this monkey’s home is in Japan. This non-human primate lives farther north than any other, and it lives in a colder climate than any other non-human primate. Their thick fur allows them to handle the cold temperatures. They also like to come down from the cliffs during the day to soak in the hot springs.
These cute monkeys are considered to be pests. Many are killed each year because of the damage they do to crops.
Contrary to what I believed, not all penguins live in the snow and ice. Several species live in a more temperate zone, and one species, the Galapagos penguin, lives near the equator. But for right now, we are interested in the penguins that thrive in cold snowy conditions.
In frigid Antarctica, penguins survive in temperatures as cold as 120 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. Did you just get a cold chill? I did. That is cold. So, how do they survive temperatures that would be unbearable for people like me? They have thick skin with lots of
Polar bears, the largest land carnivores in the world, live in the Arctic. They are marine mammals and spend most of their time on the ice in the Arctic Sea. Just like other mammals that live in the snow and ice, they have
They are beautiful, magnificent creatures. Here are some interesting facts about this bear.
>Even though they appear to be white, they aren’t really. Their hair is transparent and reflects visible light.
>An adult male can be up to 10 feet tall (when standing) and weigh up to 1400 pounds.
>Female polar bears begin having cubs at 4 or 5 years of age.
>Newborn polar bears weigh little more than a pound.
>These cubs go to school while their mother is hunting. They must freeze and remain still. If they mess up and move, their mama gives them a whack on the head.
The northern United States and Canada are home to the snowshoe hare. Their big hind feet act like snowshoes and enable them to easily move over the snow. To help protect them from the cold, their fur is thick and even covers their feet.
They do not migrate and prefer to live in sheltered forested regions. Their fur changes color so that they blend in with their surroundings. During the season of snowfall, they are white. During the warmer months, they are gray/brown.
Writing Prompts
Do you know of any more animals that live in the snow and love it? Choose one or more of them to include in a story.
Do you have an animal that loves the snow
Those polar bear cubs act as though they are having fun in the snow. Write a story about those two polar bear cubs.
Choose one or more of the animals I wrote about in this article. Do a bit more research on the ones you choose and then write a story around them and their life in the snow.
Or perhaps a group of them choose to migrate to warmer climates, longing to see the sun, the sand, and the beach. If so, did they discover that they missed their cold snowy home?
