Learning objectives

• Explain what hibernation means.
• Explain the difference between brown fat and white fat and why hibernators need both brown and white fat.

• Predict how much fat Goldy Gopher will have depending on the season.
• Go foraging for the best foods for Goldy Gopher to eat before winter.

Let’s Learn About Hibernation!

Hibernation

Winter can be a hard season for many animals. It is harder to find food, stay warm, and hide from predators. Some animals have a solution for this: hibernation! Lots of different animals hibernate, like bears, bumblebees, and box turtles. Hibernation is when animals go into a sleep-like state that can last for weeks or even months. Animals can hibernate in many different places, like caves, tunnels underground, and tree trunks. During hibernation, animals are using less energy to do activities and more energy to stay warm when it gets super cold outside. Animals get their energy by eating food. When an animal eats, the food goes from its mouth into its stomach and then through a long tube called the intestines. In the stomach and intestines, the food is broken up into little pieces that the animal can use as energy. When its warm outside, animals hunt or forage for their food and that food goes through the stomach and intestines. When it is winter, the animal isn’t eating like it is during the rest of the year. How do they get energy from food when they are sleeping in the winter? They eat a lot in preparation!

Storing Energy: Types of Fat

One way animals start to prepare for hibernation is by eating a LOT of food which makes them get very fat. This fat becomes their main energy source during these sleep-like states. Instead of energy coming from broken down food in the intestine, energy comes from broken down fat. Fat is stored in thick layers all over the animal’s body like on the belly and back. There are 2 different types of fat that animals develop from eating their food. One of these is called brown fat and the other is called white fat. The white fat is like a pantry in a house, it stores the energy, while the brown fat is like a stove where that stored fat is used to produce the energy and heat that the body needs. Both of these fats are very important in keeping these animals alive, warm, and energized during their hibernation.

13-Lined Ground Squirrels: Goldy Gopher!

Did you guys know our mascot Goldy Gopher is not actually a gopher? He is a 13-lined ground squirrel! Our 13-lined squirrel friend lives anywhere where there is grassland in the northeast, not just Minnesota. These guys love to munch on seeds, leaves, and grass, and a good mix of insects, small birds and lizards. Our furry friends spend most of their time in their underground homes with many rooms that they built and use to sleep, store food for the winter, and then eventually to hibernate. When they are ready to hibernate, they plug their entrance shut and tuck in for their big winer nap. As we know, our squirrel friends eat a lot and fatten up to prepare for winter hibernation. They hibernate from October to March, and when they wake up from their beauty sleep in the spring, they have burned all of their stored fat and are back to their normal weight. Alright Gophers, are you ready to hibernate?

Today’s Activity

Pretend you are Goldy Gopher…

You will now pretend you are a 13-lined ground squirrel, just like Goldy! Winter time is coming soon, and you have to go foraging for food to give you energy during hibernation. Around the classroom, you will find lots of different food options: seeds, leaves, pretzels, insects, marshmallows, and lizards

1. Each student gets a basket they need to fill up to get ready for hibernation.
2. Search around the classroom for different food items and choose what you want to eat.
3. Once you’ve filled your basket with at least 4 types of food, go back to your seat.
4. Put your food out on your desk and see what you and your tablemates chose.
5. Now let’s talk about what you picked…

Knowledge Check, What’s Your Score?

Okay Gophers, now let’s go through your baskets and see who prepared best for hibernation! You get +1 point for each seed, leaf, insect or lizard. You get 0 points for any pretzels and marshmallows because 13-lined ground squirrels don’t eat these nummy snacks! Anyone with 3 points or more has enough food for hibernation! If you have less than 3 points, go back to the forest and swap out the food items until you have enough to survive hibernation!