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I left out the porcupine, which of course is active all winter. And skunks tend to group up in winter in communal dens, in natural or unnatural cavities like culverts, under residential decks, etc. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville ---------- From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:35:14 -0400 To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> Subject: [NatureNS] re hibernators vs. other mammals, was raccoon question Hiding from the snow and cold is not the same thing as hibernation. Real hibernators include deep hibernators and shallow hibernators; others like raccoons can exhibit various forms of temporary torpor, which is a lack of activity and somewhat slower metabolism. Deep hibernators include groundhogs/woodchucks, chipmunks and other kinds of ground squirrels (none in Nova Scotia), meadow and woodland jumping mice, and bats. Bears are shallow hibernators, which are fairly easy to arouse during their "sleep" with metabolism that is nowhere near as slowed down as in deep hibernators. Deep hibernators paradoxically have to wake up or arouse at regular intervals (about every 3 weeks? in ground squirrels, and this is very energy-consumptive (thus they should never be otherwise aroused during winter, e.g. bats in caves). Bears, on the other hand, do not have this pattern of timed arousals, and they go for several months without urinating or defecating or eating. Red squirrels and flying squirrels (and gray squirrels) are not either deep or shallow hibernators, but during very cold weather may retire into underground tunnels (or tree nests); flying squirrels gang up in natural tree cavities in winter but do not hibernate. Who can contribute more or corrections to this about winter sleep vs. inactivity? Carnivores like coyotes & foxes and bobcat & lynx & cougar/puma, deer, beavers, muskrats, weasels and most of their kin (mustelid family)(otter, fisher, marten, mink) are active all winter. Skunks (another mustelid) are, I think, either very shallow hibernators or just exhibit torpor during the coldest parts of winter?? Most small mammals other than the jumping mice are active all winter (rats, mice, voles, shrews, star-nosed moles). Cheers from Jim in Wolfville ---------- From: Roland McCormick <roland.mccormick@ns.sympatico.ca> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:37:17 -0400 To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: Re: [NatureNS] raccoon question I do not know what the books say about racoons and hibernation, but I expect it is the same with them as with bears, groundhogs, and other creatures that stay away from snow and cold weather. I have never known of a racoon travelling around in the winter. I am told that bears sometimes come out during a mild spot in the weather, and everyone knows that Feb 2 is ground hog's day. So far as I am concerned all of these animals hibernate in the sense that they find a den and sleep and lose a lot of fat during the winter months. Perhaps that would be a good thing for many of us to do. Roland ----- Original Message ----- From: "David & Alison Webster" <dwebster@glinx.com> To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 1:26 PM Subject: Re: [NatureNS] racoon question > Hi All, Jan 4, 2008 > Depth of unconsolidated snow (about 30 cm here now) is an additional > factor I think. Swimming through soft snow is an energy intensive way to > get around. > DW, Kentville > > Eleanor Lindsay wrote: > >> Heather Drope wrote: >> >>> A friend has racoons on or near his property. He enjoys them but says >>> they are missing right now and wondered if they hibernate? Heather D. >>> >>> >>> >> >> I consistently never see raccoons around my place when the weather is >> severe. >> Eleanor Lindsay >> > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: > 269.17.13/1208 - Release Date: 1/3/2008 3:52 PM > >
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