Questions: Seasons and Animal Behavior

Question 1

Why do many birds fly south in the fall?

• A. Because they get bored in one place
• B. Because the bugs and seeds they eat disappear in winter, so they fly to where food is still available
• C. Because they want to see different places
• D. Because other birds tell them to

Answer: (B)

Birds migrate mainly because of food, not temperature. When winter comes, insects die or hide, plants stop producing seeds, and the ground freezes. Birds fly to warmer areas where food is still plentiful. In spring, they fly back when food returns.

Question 2

Hibernation is just like regular sleep.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Hibernation is very different from normal sleep. During hibernation, an animal's body temperature drops dramatically, its heart rate slows way down, and its breathing becomes very slow. The animal barely uses any energy at all. A hibernating bear might breathe only once every few minutes. Normal sleep is nothing like this.

Question 3

Name two different ways animals deal with winter.

Model answer: Some animals migrate to warmer places (like geese flying south), and some hibernate through the cold months (like bears sleeping in their dens).

Animals have different strategies for surviving winter. Migration means traveling to a warmer area with more food. Hibernation means going into a deep, energy-saving sleep until spring. Other strategies include storing food in advance (like squirrels), growing thicker fur (like rabbits and deer), and changing color to blend in with snow (like arctic hares).