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When winter’s chill spreads across Western North Carolina’s mountains, many animals are getting ready for their long winter’s nap. While some creatures stay active during the cold months, others prepare for hibernation – a special deep sleep that helps them survive when food is scarce.

So, let’s learn about how various local animals cope. Ever wonder where bears or snakes go in the winter? 

Black bears are “light hibernators” that use torpor to survive the winter. Unlike true hibernators, animals in torpor wake up more quickly, and their body temperature doesn’t drop as much. These furry giants spend fall building up their fat reserves by eating up to 20,000 calories daily – the equivalent of 80 hamburgers! 

And something I’ve just learned: Mother bears give birth during torpor and nurse their cubs while still mostly asleep. When spring comes, the cubs are ready to explore the world with their mom. 

Unlike bears, groundhogs are true hibernators. These chubby rodents can sleep for up to six months! Before hibernating, they double their weight and slow their heartbeat from 80 beats per minute to just five beats per minute. Eastern chipmunks take a different approach, having several shorter periods of deep sleep. They wake up every few weeks to snack on stored nuts and seeds in their burrows.

While many animals hibernate, most squirrels stay active all winter. Gray squirrels spend fall collecting and hiding thousands of acorns in a behavior called “scatter hoarding.” It’s like they’re making hundreds of food buffets throughout the forest. Squirrels are essential seed and nut dispersers since they forget about some buried nuts, which helps new trees grow in spring.

Flying squirrels handle winter differently, huddling together in groups of up to 20 in tree hollows to stay warm. They enter torpor on the coldest days but wake up regularly to snack on stored nuts and mushrooms.

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees, snakes enter brumation – the reptile version of hibernation. Often, black rat snakes gather in underground dens called “hibernacula.” Sometimes, dozens of snakes share the same den. Other snakes hibernate alone in burrows, often dug by a rodent since snakes can’t dig.

Other cold-blooded animals have their own unique strategies. Eastern box turtles dig into soft dirt where their hearts beat only once every 10 minutes. Some frogs, like the wood frog, actually freeze solid during winter. Special chemicals in their blood work like antifreeze to protect their organs. Now that’s very cool!

Many insects and caterpillars spend winter hidden in fallen leaves. Woolly bear caterpillars – those fuzzy black and brown creatures that become Isabella tiger moths – curl up in thick layers of leaves and freeze solid. So there’s another animal that produces a special substance that works like antifreeze to protect their organs. Mother Nature at her finest. 

That’s why it’s good to leave some leaves in your yard over winter. It’s like a soft blanket for butterflies, moths, and beneficial insects.

Luna moth cocoons and swallowtail butterfly chrysalises attached to twigs also survive winter thanks to natural antifreeze in their bodies. Many beetles and ladybugs also burrow into leaf litter, while bumblebee queens dig small holes in the ground to wait for spring.

Not all Western North Carolina animals hibernate, though. White-tailed deer and wild turkeys stay active all winter. They grow thicker fur or feathers and search for food, even in the snow.

When will all these animals come out of their winter slumbers? Next February or  March, depending on the temperatures. Bears emerge from their dens hungry and thin, having lost up to 30% of their body weight. Groundhogs pop up from their burrows, perhaps checking if winter is over.

So next time you’re bundled up against the winter cold, remember that many of Western North Carolina’s wild residents are tucked away in their cozy spots, waiting for spring to return to the mountains.

Loti Woods is a founder of Champions for Wildlife, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire and empower our kids, using art and education, to be champions for wildlife. To learn more, visit https://championsforwildlife.org or email loti@championsforwildlife.org.