6 Hibernation & Migration of Animals -Lesson for Kids
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It's time to wake up!
Wake up!
Oh! Wake up Jimmy. Let's go and play outside.
Winter break does not mean that you can stay in bed all the time.
It's so cold outside! I just want to stay in
my warm and cosy bed and sleep.
Ohh! it's so cold outside. I wander what do the animals
do to protect themselves from this harsh winter.
My teacher told us that most animals
hibernate or migrate in winters.
Hibernate, migrate
what's that?
Let me first tell about hibernation.
In harsh winters, food become scarce and so
animals need to conserve energy to live through the season.
Many animals like Bears, Fox, Snakes, Tortoise and Bats
call up and go into deep sleep till winter passes away.
That is called hibernation.
Hey, we can see the bats going to hibernate.
But how does hibernation help?
Oh! It's like saving energy. When we go playing or swimming,
our heart, lungs etc. work very hard and so we feel very hungry
after we come home the body needs extra food
for extra work.
But if our body does less work,
it would need less food.
When animals hibernate, their breathing and hearts
slows down, their body temperature falls down
reducing the need of energy.
Less activity means less energy and less food.
Yeah! I know one animal called- box turtle
it can stop breathing completely.
Instead, it absorbs oxygen through its skin.
So, less work by lungs.
But I wander how long they keep on sleeping like this?
All through the winters, you know,
the marmots and the polar bear can hibernate for
up to 8 months every year.
Their body has natural alarm clock
when the spring sets in
The alarm will go off.
They will wake up and go out in search of food.
Jimmy! Jimmy get dressed. Let's go and see
where animals go to hibernate.
Let's look for hibernating animals.
Watch out! That snake just went in.
Woahh! It has gone so deep under the ground.
Look, where the frog has found its place
for hibernation.
Fish and frogs have bury themselves partly
deep under the water to hibernate.
Let me show you something more.
That huge bear is sleeping so soundly.
It's hibernating behind this rock in the cave.
All these animals have made themselves so
comfortable for hibernation as if they are in their cosy beds.
They have found themselves places with the
right temperature and moisture to sleep that long.
Now I really wish I could hibernate too.
No.. no!
You are talking about sleeping.
But hibernating is not the same as sleeping.
Lower breathing and heart slows down
while sleeping that is very little.
During hibernation, heart and breathing slow down a lot.
In hibernation, the mind is not as relaxed
as it does while sleeping.
It's as if someone has forced us to lie down
for a long time with eyes closed and nothing to do.
And though we are lying down
we get tired.
Imagine. You need to sleep because you are tired of sleeping.
Hibernating.
The animals may be of sleep deprived
and will need to catch up on their sleep in the spring.
Hey look up! See those birds,
they are flying in a pattern.
These birds look like Geese.
Where are they all going?
They may be going in search of food.
Why are they not hibernating?
They too must be feeling cold.
Few of the animals don't hibernate.
They go to warmer places to save themselves
from cold and to find food.
When it gets very cold in the north, the birds just
fly away to warmer places down south
where they will be able to survive.
This is called migration.
Oh! The migration is very smart.
They don't feel cold and they also get food in warmer places.
But how do they know the right direction?
I wander if they too have a compass like mine
to check their directions.
We have learnt to find directions by using the Sun or stars
during our campaign trip.
The birds use the position of the Sun
as a compass.
Oh! That's so wonderful!
Yeah! My teacher told me the same.
But you know, a bird name, Waterfowl
it flies in the night and it uses positions of stars
to find direction.
And few of the birds will also remember the way
from their *****
You are right. Elephants also migrate
by remembering the way. Oldest female elephant
remembers fixed landmarks such as rivers
and mountain ranges to lead the other members
of the herd to food, water and safety.
There are many other animals who migrate.
But right now, let's migrate home.
It's getting late now.
This was a very interesting morning.