22 Surviving in Very Cold Climates

Imagine going to sleep in October and waking up in May! Animals such as marmots and ground squirrels stay warm by sleeping all winter. All this time, they do not wake up once. This special kind of sleep is called hibernation. During this sleep, the heart slows down, and the animal breathes more slowly. It doesn’t move around, so it uses less energy.

Animals like the marmot and the ground squirrel inhabit the colder parts of the world. They need special talents to survive in these frigid places. Their furry coats keep them snug when the temperature falls below zero. It often gets this cold in the Arctic, a land that is just below the North Pole.

Before the long winter, some animals eat and eat. After a while, they grow very fat. When winter comes, they live on the fat stored up in their bodies. The fat layers help keep them warm.

Arctic animals also have other ways to beat the cold. Rabbits in the Arctic, for example, have very small ears. Small ears keep heat in, while big ears let it out. Small things usually keep heat in. Have you ever slept in a room that is very small and noticed how much of their heat you can use?

It rarely gets hot in the Arctic. But although summer seasons there are very short, the sun shines brightly. Plants seem to spring up before your eyes! Animals such as caribou look forward all year to summer, when they can eat fresh grass again. Every minute of sunshine is important to their lives.

想象一下十月入睡，五月醒来！旱獭和地松鼠之类的动物通过整个冬天睡觉来保暖。在这段时间里，它们一次都不会醒来。这种特殊的睡眠被称为冬眠。在冬眠期间，它们的心跳减慢，呼吸也更缓慢。它们不会到处活动，所以消耗的能量更少。

像旱獭和地松鼠这样的动物栖息在世界上较寒冷的地区。它们需要特殊的本领才能在这些严寒的地方生存。当气温降到零度以下时，它们的毛皮大衣能让它们保持温暖舒适。北极地区经常会这么冷，北极是位于北极点正下方的一片土地。

在漫长的冬天来临之前，一些动物会不停地进食。过了一段时间，它们就会变得非常胖。冬天来临时，它们依靠体内储存的脂肪生存。脂肪层有助于它们保暖。

北极的动物还有其他抵御寒冷的方法。例如，北极的兔子耳朵非常小。小耳朵能保持热量，而大耳朵会散热。小的东西通常能留住热量。你有没有在很小的房间里睡过觉，然后注意到能保留多少热量？

北极地区很少会炎热。但尽管那里的夏季非常短暂，阳光却很明媚。植物似乎在你眼前突然生长起来！像驯鹿这样的动物一整年都在期待夏天，那时它们可以再次吃到新鲜的草。每一分钟的阳光对它们的生活都很重要。